Colors of the Heart
by takaondo
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo lives a hard life. Weighed down by his past, he struggles to keep up with the speed of the world. Having resigned himself to his fate, he would have never guessed that an accidental meeting with a woman named Kuchiki Rukia would end up changing his world. But it soon becomes clear that she is not who she seems to be – and that their meeting was no mere accident.
1. The Small Time Baker

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** Just as the final arc for BLEACH will begin, this is going to be my last long story for fanfiction. It's funny; about six years ago, I started writing fanfiction with an AU drama. Now I'm going end my days at fanfiction with an AU drama.

I expect this story to be around 25-30 chapters long, with each chapter averaging 7-10 pages each. I'll be trying to update every two weeks, though knowing me, it may take a lot longer than that. Since I haven't actually written any multi-chaptered AU fics that have lasted, this will also be a learning experience for me. I felt rather disconnected writing and planning this, almost like an old man who wonders what's 'hip' with the kids nowadays.

Well, enough rambling from me. As usual, there are probably errors everywhere.

**Edited some minor things for story clarity.**

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 1_

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A cell phone rang amongst a big pile of papers, nearly hidden away by the mess on the mahogany desk that it rested on. Its owner still managed to reach the phone in time, and flipped it open with quick haste.

He was a boy on the verge of becoming a man, right on the precipice of adulthood. His body was lanky but muscular. It was particularly noticeable because of the tight clothing he wore. With a strong jaw and intense brown eyes, he would have been considered handsome if it wasn't for a continuous scowl that permeated his features.

"Hello, Kurosaki Ichigo speaking." He spoke. He paused for a moment to let the other side speak. "Ah, I am still looking for a place."

He started to walk across the room past several packed boxes.

"Yes, I'd like for it to be two floors."

He stopped walking and his eyes fell soft as he gazed down into a small crib that was set in front of him. The little baby inside slept quietly without a care in the world with an innocence that could not be described with words alone.

"That's right." He replied to the caller.

Ichigo couldn't help but smile lightly as he rubbed a finger across her cheek.

"A house for two."

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><p><em><strong>The Small Time Baker<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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It was early morning in the city of Karakura and the sun had only just started to chase away the shadows of the night. Its bright rays dawned past the coloring autumn leaves to a small two story building that was nestled in the corner of a small neighborhood. It looked fairly old, but homely at the same time. A small modest sign that read 'Kurosaki Bakery' hung loosely over the single glass door.

A little girl looking no older than ten tip-toed up the stairs inside this house, careful not to step on the creaks that would have given her away. Her grey mischievous eyes were nearly hidden by the medium length orange hair that spread messily around her face, a sign that she had just woken up. Her white pajamas that were specked with bunny faces were just a size too big for her, so she took extra precautions to not trip over herself.

She smiled victoriously as she made it safely up to the second floor. Her eyes quickly scanned the area. There were two rooms on this floor and only one of them had an open door. She slowly made her way towards it. Someone was still sleeping in the bed that lay next to the windows at the far side of the room. Soft snores could be heard coming from underneath the large blanket, its inhabitant completely unaware of the intruder in the vicinity.

The little girl pounced on top of the bed like a miniature tiger, causing the one underneath her to emit a loud grunt of pain.

"Papa! It's time to wake up!" She said as she pulled away the covers.

The man groaned at the interruption of his precious sleep and scratched at his orange hair. He sat up in his bed and stared at his daughter with a sleepy and irritated look on his face. He shifted slightly, wrinkling the sleeveless shirt he had worn while he was sleeping.

Ichigo had aged very little in the passing years. His orange hair was a little longer than it had been when he was younger, and short sideburns now marked the sides of his face. His eyes were also duller than they had been in the past, but it was not known whether it was from his age or from the lack of sleep.

"I do have an alarm clock you know, Umi." He said in a grumpy tone.

"So?" She replied with a cute cock of her head. "It's time to wake up, sleepy head!"

He sighed at her. "Go get dressed for school. I'll be down in a bit."

"Yes Papa!" Umi said before jumping off the bed.

The man watched as his daughter took off loudly downstairs, using none of the quiet stealth she had shown earlier. He quickly fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes, hoping to catch a little bit more shut eye. Unfortunately, his alarm clock started to beep just a few moments later.

"Damn it." He cursed.

...

Ichigo entered his room later that morning fully dressed and prepared for the day ahead of him. He scratched the back of his head tiredly before he looked around his room. His eyes fell on an item that hung from the chair next to his desk.

'Kurosaki Ichigo.'

The nametag seemed to taunt him as he picked up the white apron it was attached to. He scowled lightly for a second as he tried to rub off some of the filth on it, but found the attempts fruitless. He was just going to have to deal with it. Without another thought to spare, he pulled the strap over his head and tied it securely around his waist.

And so the normal morning rituals began.

Flour was mixed, battered and poured onto pans before being placed into a large oven by Ichigo. Different types of breads and pastries that were finished earlier were placed carefully into the glass display cases next to their appropriate labels. He swept the wooden floor around the four small tables before placing the pairs of chairs back against them. With one last look at his little store, he seemed content with its state, and turned the sign on the door to 'Open.'

He was barely able to get the door open before Umi ran past him. She was dressed in her school uniform which was a light blue sailor-fuku. With a lunchbox in one hand, and a book bag in another, she nearly tripped over as she ran out into the sidewalk.

"Oi! Did you remember to eat breakfast?" Ichigo asked.

She stopped and turned around to show him the bread that was being held in her mouth. Ichigo bent down and gave her a hard stare.

"Did you remember your books this time too? I don't want to bring them to you at school again." He added. Her eyebrows furrowed as she responded, but her response was muffled by the bread in her mouth. Ichigo bent down and took it out of her mouth so she could speak clearly.

"Of course I did! I promised I wouldn't forget again!" She said indignantly. She gave him a serious look. "How about you, Papa? Did Papa remember what he promised to do today?"

Ichigo stuffed the bread back into her mouth much to her displeasure, but before she could reprimand him, he gently placed his hand on her head and gave her a firm look.

"I promised I'd come pick you up today." He said.

Umi face lit up happily at his words.

"Now get going. Your friends should already waiting down the street." Ichigo said as he stood back up. She nodded to him before she turned to run off.

For a few moments, Ichigo stood there at the front of his store, watching his daughter's retreating backside as she disappeared into the distance.

...

The first customer entered the store a little while later. Though Ichigo was busy stocking pastries into the glass counter, he quickly looked up as the door swung open. The woman who entered had spiky, medium-length black hair that just touched the top of her back. She wore a peach sweater that was covered by a brown leather jacket. It was complimented by the knee-length pleated skirt she wore.

"So, a grape-jelly donut as usual, Tatsuki?" Ichigo asked casually as she walked up to him.

"That's Arisawa-sensei to you." She said with a tone of arrogance as she crossed her arms. A smirk made its way onto her face. "And no, I'll have a glazed donut today."

Ichigo's expression dead-panned.

"You sure let that title get to your head fast." He said as he gave her the bag with her order. "Didn't you just get promoted a couple of days ago?"

"Oh, yeah." She replied, handing him the money she owed him. "But that doesn't mean I can't rub it in your face now, can I?"

"It does since I haven't been there since I was six." Ichigo said off-handedly.

Tatsuki ignored his comment and reached into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a bunch of letters that were clearly addressed to him.

"And these are yours. I took the liberty of retrieving them from the mailbox on my way in." She said as she held it out to him. "Looks like you have a bunch of over-due bills."

"Don't you have a sense of privacy at all, Tatsuki?" Ichigo said as he snatched them from her with a scowl.

"Don't be so touchy, I didn't actually look though them." Tatsuki replied. She looked at him for a moment with slight concern. "Are you holding up okay?"

"Everything is fine." He answered flatly.

"I know you take pride on being able to take care of everything by yourself, but don't be afraid to ask if you need money, Ichigo. I don't want to see this place closed down." She said firmly.

"I didn't realize you liked these donuts so much." Ichigo replied blankly.

"I'm serious." She said with a slight huff, irritated by his indirectness. She turned to look around the bakery. "You know I'd do anything to protect this place." She continued as she smiled lightly. "It was her dream to own a bakery after all."

Ichigo's expression hardened. "I know that..."

"I know it's hard doing this all alone." Tatsuki said.

"I've been at this for ten years now, remember?" Ichigo said. "I'll be fine."

"You know..." She started uncertainly. "I've got a lot of friends that I could introduce you to."

"This again?" He replied with irritation. "You know what my answer is."

"Then at least go meet someone new. If not for you, then at least for Umi." Tatsuki said, trying to reason with him. "Umi needs more older women in her life to look up to. Your sisters are away at college and I can't always be around for her. It would be good for you to get at least one more female friend."

"I'll think about it." Ichigo replied stubbornly as he went back to restocking.

Tatsuki sighed in defeat and turned to leave. She stopped at the door, and glanced back at Ichigo once more. "Forgive me for saying this Ichigo, but you know how it is to grow up without a mother. That's not the kind of life that she would have wanted for her daughter."

The door closed as she left, leaving Ichigo all alone again. He looked up and watched her walk pass the front window with an inexpressive gaze. He slowly picked up the mail from the counter and started to flip through them. His eyes narrowed slightly as he came across a letter. Holding it in his hand, he stared at it for a few moments before thoroughly tearing it up and tossing it into the trash.

...

The little city of Karakura was a small place, barely big enough to be noticed on Japan's map. Despite this fact, it was very much like any other town. Skyscrapers tall enough to pierce the clouds dotted the busy downtown area, while the smaller neighborhood houses resided in the little suburbs around it. Unlike the loud and bustling city life, these areas were much more peaceful.

Ichigo was walking up the sidewalk of one of these neighborhoods. He passed by buildings of all shapes and sizes, moving towards the one that stood out from the rest. It was a tiny little store that sat in the middle of several large apartment complexes. Though it had a small van parked alongside it, the place gave off a sense of neglect as though it had been abandoned. The old fashioned look of the place only furthered this idea.

He stopped a few feet away from the sliding door, and raised his head to read the board that was displayed proudly above its door.

'Urahara Shouten'

"On lunch break, Kurosaki-san?" A voice said.

The door slowly slid open to reveal a rather unshaven man with a cane. His light blond hair was hidden by a green striped bucket hat, though a few strands managed to fall between his blue eyes. He looked like a rather eccentric man, wearing a dark green kimono with a large dark overcoat that had white diamond shaped patterns along its edges. The traditional wooden sandals on his feet served to complete the look.

"Urahara Kisuke, at your service." He said cheerfully.

"Urahara-san." Ichigo said, acknowledging the store owner. "Business has been slow recently, so it's not like it matters either way."

"So it seems we're in the same boat." Urahara said as he stepped out from the store. He turned to look at his little store fondly. "No one likes to buy from this old candy shop anymore either."

"They might, if you fixed up this place a bit." Ichigo said with a slight scowl. He looked over it. "It looks so shady it's a wonder anyone comes here at all."

"Hey now, I still get a customer every now and then." Urahara said, tilting his hat with a grin. "I still remember how often your mother would bring you here when you were younger. You always referred to me as 'Geta-Boshi', remember?"

Ichigo paused for a bit as he looked back up at the store. Those moments from long ago of flickered through his mind. He remembered his younger self pulling at the hand of a beautiful woman at the sight of the candy on the shelves. His eyes softened at the nostalgia he felt as the memory faded away.

"Times have changed since then." Ichigo said quietly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"Here's the payment for last month's mortgage along with the late fee." He said as he held it out to Urahara.

"You've been falling behind on payments for a while now, Kurosaki-san." Urahara said as he took it from him. He looked at Ichigo grimly. "You know I'm only the middle man here. If you can't afford the mortgage, there's nothing I can do to stop you from getting evicted."

Ichigo nodded at the man, grateful for his concern. "You've done enough for me, Urahara-san. It was thanks to you that I managed to get the store in the first place, so I already can't thank you enough."

Urahara only smiled as he tipped his hat once more.

"There's no need to thank me." He replied cheerfully. "But do bring by Umi-chan next time. I haven't seen her in a while after all."

Ichigo smirked before he turned to leave. "Ah."

...

'It's a little past noon now.' Ichigo thought as he looked at his cell phone. He closed it with a quick flip. 'It's almost time.'

He huffed lightly. The walk back to the store wasn't quite as short as he would have wanted it to have been, but he couldn't complain. He got to pass through the neighborhood park on his way back. It was the place where autumn had made its most dramatic entrance. Colorful leaves fell down with every small gust of wind. As he walked, Ichigo noticed that there were a lot of people around, even though the weather had been steadily getting colder. His eyes fell upon a family of three that was having a picnic underneath a large tree.

And almost instantaneously, the conversation from that morning with Tatsuki echoed in his thoughts.

"_Looks like you have a bunch of over-due bills."_

"_I know it's hard doing this all alone."_

"_Forgive me for saying this Ichigo, but you know how it is to grow up without a mother. That's not the kind of life that she would have wanted for her daughter."_

Ichigo's features hardened as the memories faded away.

'That's right.' He thought to himself. 'No matter how hard I try to deny it, this isn't the kind of life she would have wanted for her daughter.'

He tore his gaze away from the family. 'It's not the kind of life that I want her to have either.'

He soon made his way out of the park, and he wandered listlessly passed the familiar buildings that he had passed by countless times. Still lost in his thoughts, he started cross the street towards his home without realizing the small speeding car that was coming his way.

By the time Ichigo had noticed, it was already too late.

The tires of the car screeched as its owner slammed on its brakes, but it could not stop in time. With a loud thud, he was knocked off his feet and his entire body slammed heavily against the hood of the car. His body limply rolled off onto the asphalt afterward, and he lay there face up on the ground with heavy breaths. He was acutely aware of what was happening around him, but he was already starting to fall unconscious as the corners of his vision darkened.

The door of the car opened and he could hear the pounding footsteps of someone running towards him. The last thing he remembered seeing was a pair of beautiful violet eyes looking down at him.

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 1_

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	2. The Office Lady

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** Chapter two. I will be refraining from answering any questions about this story because I rather let the story speak for itself, rather having me using the author's notes or PMs to fill in the blanks. I will say however, that even though the story is starting off slow, the plot will pick up. I'm also going to try for a weekly update every Friday.

I would have updated earlier if it wasn't for the downtime of the site.

As always, there are errors here and there that I couldn't catch. Enjoy.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 2_

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'Waiting Room'

The sign was written in bright red letters above a doorway that led to a small room. The room itself was very plain; its white walls were decorated with rather simple paintings that hung above comfortable wooden chairs that lined the back wall. A small coffee table sat at the rightmost corner, its wooden desktop covered by a myriad of magazines and a single potted bamboo tree.

A woman sat at the chair closest to the table. Her face was hidden away by beautiful raven hair that hung just above her shoulders. The attire she wore was very reserved. She wore an expensive white blazer with a long, grey skirt that fell a little past her knees. There was also a long pink scarf wrapped around her neck, though it seemed little more than just an accessory.

Despite her sophisticated appearance, the cell phone in her hands was decorated with pink bunny ears. Though its decor was whimsical and childlike, she showed no indication of being so herself. In actuality, she looked like a person who was mature beyond her years. Her small fingers rubbed at her phone's touch-screen where the 'Call Ended' notification was still flashing, and her lips wore into a thin line as she stared at it.

"Kurosaki... Ichigo..." She muttered.

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><p><em><strong>The Office Lady<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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Kurosaki Ichigo awoke to the surroundings of a white hospital room. His brown eyes slowly scanned the room, moving from the light blue drapes at the windows to the medical instruments that were situated in the corners. They then slowly traveled down his body to his ankle, where it had been wrapped up carefully in a small cast that hung from a lever.

"Looks like you're awake, Ichigo." A voice said.

Ichigo turned his head towards the other person who was in the room. The nametag on his coat read 'Kurosaki Isshin'. The man wore a rather flamboyant dress shirt under his lab coat, its mesh of purple and yellow stripes probably a few decades out of style. Beneath his short black hair and unshaven face were kind eyes that spoke of man of compassion, yet the sly grin that pulled at his lips also revealed a rather mischievous side of his personality.

"How are you?" He asked kindly.

Ichigo stared at him blankly.

"Terrible." He replied flatly as he looked away.

The man frowned at his rude response and walked up next to the bed. Without even a hint or warning, he raised his hand and smacked it hard against Ichigo's broken ankle, causing him to yelp in pain.

"What the hell was that for?" Ichigo screamed as he grabbed the old man by the front of his coat.

"That's no way to respond to your father!" His dad yelled angrily as he pushed his face against his son's. "You should be all, 'Oh daddy, thank you for saving my life!'"

"Like hell I would! What kind of father would intentionally injure his son -"

"It was an injury of LOVE -"

"I am going to beat the living -"

Before Ichigo could finish his threat, Isshin easily pinned him down onto the bed with one arm, much to the former's frustration and annoyance. "Now that's more like the lively son that I raised." Isshin said as he grinned.

Ichigo pushed him away with a scowl.

"Where's Umi?" He quickly asked.

"That's just like you, to be more worried about your daughter than your own health." Isshin said, unable to hold back a grin. "You've only been unconscious for a few hours so she's still at school."

"Does she -?"

"She doesn't know what happened to you." Isshin replied before he could finish.

"That's good." Ichigo said with relief.

"You should be more worried about yourself sometimes. You were very lucky, Ichigo." Isshin said as he picked up the medical chart that hung at the edge of his bed. A grim expression fell upon his face as he read it over. "Besides a minor concussion, your left ankle is broken. You'll be in crutches for a bit, but It should heal up just fine in about two months."

Ichigo closed his eyes as he rubbed the bump on the side of his head. Images flashed in his mind; they were memories of what had happened earlier. The car. The collision. The pain. He remembered all of it. But what he remembered most clearly was the person who was looking down at him at the end of the incident.

"How did I get here?" He muttered as he looked at his father. "Did someone call an ambulance?"

"Funny story actually." Isshin replied. "The person who hit you actually brought you here, which was the closest clinic she could find. She's outside in the waiting room right now."

Ichigo's face lit up with surprise. "She's been waiting?"

"She said she wanted to apologize to you when you woke up. I told her it was unlikely that you would wake up anytime soon, but she was persistent." Isshin said, grinning slightly. "Do you want me to let her in now?"

Ichigo fell silent. The image of the person who he saw last flashed in his memories once more. Even now, he could not forget the eyes of that person.

"Ah..." He finally replied.

His father left without another word. A moment later, a small knock on the door signaled the arrival of the woman who had been waiting.

"Excuse me." She said before she entered the room.

Ichigo observed the person who entered. The woman was quite petite, probably a little less than five feet tall. A strand of dark hair hung between her eyes and even though she unconsciously pushed it away, it stubbornly fell back in place just a moment later. However, it was her eyes that caught most of his attention. Her large violet irises shimmered slightly in the light of the room. They were the exactly the same as he had remembered.

She stood a few feet away from him with her hands held together formally with a grim expression on her face. "Before you say anything, please let me apologize -"

"It's not your fault, so there's nothing for you to apologize for." Ichigo interrupted before she could say any more. Her face lit up with surprise at his comment. "It was my fault. I was the one who wasn't looking while I was crossing the street. I'm sorry for any trouble that I've caused you..."

"Kuchiki Rukia." She answered. "You can call me Rukia."

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He added. "Ichigo is fine."

Rukia's expression became firm once more. "No, it was my fault you're in this condition, so please allow me to take responsibility for it."

Ichigo scowled and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I refuse."

Rukia's eyes lit up for a moment with confusion, as if though she was having trouble comprehending what he had just said to her. "What?" She asked, looking as though she had just been insulted.

"I said it wasn't your fault. It was mine." He reminded her sternly. His scowl deepened. "So just drop it already, alright?"

"How can I just 'drop it?'" She replied heatedly. "I said I want to take responsibility for it."

"And I refused, didn't I?" He replied, a little louder this time.

"The fault is clearly mine." Rukia argued, raising her voice a little higher. "You didn't get those injuries from walking into my car!"

"No, I got my ass run over because I was too stupid to look both ways!" Ichigo retorted loudly.

"It is my fault!" She yelled.

"I said it was mine!" He yelled back.

The both of them instantly snapped. From just those few simple exchanges of disagreement, hundreds of years of Japanese tradition and etiquette were instantly thrown own the window.

"What kind of idiotic person refuses an offer from someone who wants to take responsibility?" Rukia asked angrily. Her eyebrows furrowed as she took a step forward. "Is this your roundabout method of being nice? Well, I don't need your kindness! I told you that it was my fault, so let me take responsibility for it already!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo yelled. He scowled at her, leaning towards her as far as he could from his hospital bed. "You should be a little bit more grateful, you know? I'm letting you off the hook after all! You should just bow your head and say 'Oh, thank you for your kind-hearted proposal!'"

Rukia closed her eyes out of irritation, and clenched her right hand into fist as though she was trying hard to keep herself from hitting him.

"I will not bow my head to someone like you!" She replied furiously with a defiant stare. "And I will not say such a thing!"

They continued to glare at each other with anger and irritation, but it didn't take them long to realize just how silly their argument had been. A brief look of embarrassment flickered on their expressions, and the both of them quickly looked away, determined not to meet the other's eyes. Regardless, neither one of them looked like they were ready to give in; Ichigo was still scowling lightly while Rukia frowned, looking calm but nonetheless irritated.

"You're a weird person, you know?" She said flatly.

"That's my line." He replied with a small frown.

She continued to look away for a moment in thought. An idea seemed to pop into her head, and she turned back to him with a business-like look on her face.

"How about a compromise then?" Rukia offered. Ichigo looked at her. "I heard from your father that you work at a bakery close by. If it's not too much trouble, let me help you out on my off-days. It's the least I can do - at least until you recover. In return, you can teach me how to bake pastries. I've always wanted to learn how."

She held out her hand. "How does that sound, Ichigo?"

Ichigo stared at her with an unreadable expression. He looked as though he was about to deny her offer, but stopped as he remembered Tatsuki's words. His eyes fell as they echoed in his thoughts.

"_Then at least go meet someone new. If not for you, then at least for Umi."_

He slowly raised his gaze back to hers.

"Alright, that sounds fair." He finally replied, taking a hold of her hand. "It seems like we'll be partners for next two months then, Rukia."

And with that, they shook.

...

Rukia left a while later. She gave out an audible sigh as she closed the door behind her. For a few moments, she stood there in deep thought with her back leaning against the door. She seemed incredibly distracted; she almost didn't notice the man who was walking towards her. Her head raised when she finally noticed him.

"Ah, Kurosaki-sensei." She said, walking over to the doctor.

"Did you two have a nice chat?" Isshin asked.

"I guess you could say that." Rukia replied tiredly.

The both of them turned as the patient room door suddenly swung open. To their surprise, Ichigo walked out in his crutches. Despite his condition, he had managed to dress himself, and looked as though he was ready to leave. Noticing the two of them staring at him, he eyed them blankly for a bit.

"Yo." He said casually.

He then started to move towards the exit without another word, leaving the two observers to digest the situation.

"Hey!" Rukia called after him with a look of concern. She glanced at Isshin, surprised that he only stood there watching his injured son leave the clinic. "Aren't you going to stop him?"

Isshin frowned lightly, and shrugged his shoulders. "There's no point in trying."

Rukia blinked a few times in confusion. "Hah?"

"He's too stubborn to be convinced otherwise." Isshin said before walking away.

"But...!" Rukia started to speak, but was unable to finish before he left.

She turned back to look at Ichigo. He continued on his way determinedly to the exit, looking slightly awkward as he used the crutches to move. His body shook slightly with each step; it was obvious he was far from being fine. She frowned at his persistence and quickly went after him.

"Ichigo." Rukia called out. Ichigo glanced at her from over his shoulder. She stood a few feet behind him, looking at him firmly with her arms crossed. "What do you think you're doing? You should be in bed."

Ichigo frowned lightly.

"I promised my daughter I'd pick her up from school." He said sternly.

Rukia's eyes lit up. "Daughter?"

"Ah." Ichigo replied before turning to leave.

"Wait." She added as she ran up to his side. "Let me drive you there."

Ichigo looked surprised by her offer. He nodded gratefully at her, and looked away once more.

"I'd appreciate that."

...

The sun was starting to set by the time Ichigo and Rukia arrived at the school. With the car parked around the corner, the two of them slowly made their way towards the school gate. It was a slow process for Ichigo as he trudged his way down the sidewalk in his crutches. He scowled lightly at the awkwardness. Rukia walked at his side, and politely kept pace with him. Though she looked calm, she couldn't help glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Are you going to be alright?" She asked with concern.

"I'll be fine." He replied stubbornly.

She huffed in defeat. He seemed determined to avoid any sympathy directed towards him. "You are a weird person after all."

"You as well, offering to help me out like that." Ichigo replied. "Don't you have a full-time job?"

"Ah. I work at a company help desk downtown, but I have plenty of spare time." Rukia said. "I wouldn't have offered to help if I didn't have time."

"Just don't push yourself for my sake." He said off-handedly.

Rukia's face lit up with surprise at his statement, and her footsteps came to a sudden halt. For a few moments, she quietly observed her companion. Her expression was unreadable and she stayed like that for a few more seconds before she quietly walked back up to his side.

Neither one of them spoke to one another after that, and the two entered the school grounds in relative silence. Rukia looked around the area as they entered. Though it was getting late, a lot of the students were still around. They were still being supervised by their teachers. Some were just hanging around with their friends while others looked like they were still waiting to get picked up. She glanced at Ichigo, and noticed him looking at the little girl who was talking animatedly in her little group of friends.

"Umi!" Ichigo yelled as he moved forward.

Rukia stood back and watched impassively.

'So... that's his daughter...' She thought to herself.

His daughter turned cheerfully at the sound of her name, but the happy smile on her lips disappeared as soon as she saw her father. She quickly ran towards him as fast as her little legs could carry her. Ichigo grunted as her small body crashed into his, nearly knocking him down in the process.

"Papa!" Umi said, grabbing the hem of his shirt as she looked up at him with concern. "What happened to you? Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

"Just a small accident, I'll be okay." Ichigo explained.

"Really?" She asked.

"Really." He said reassuringly. Umi smiled with relief.

"There's someone I want you to meet." Ichigo said, getting a look of surprise from his daughter. He glanced over to where Rukia was standing. "Do you see that lady over there?" Umi turned to where he was looking. "She'll be helping Papa out until his leg is better. Go introduce yourself to her."

Umi stared at Rukia with a slightly curious look; it was as though she had never seen anyone quite like her. Ichigo's eyes lit up when he felt his daughter tugging gently at his arm. He looked down at her, and she smiled, subtly motioning for him to bend down so she could whisper something into his ear.

"She's really pretty...!" Umi whispered. She pulled away from him and made her way over to Rukia.

Out of hearing range, Ichigo could only watch from afar as Umi politely introduced herself to Rukia. Although his daughter was acting calm and well mannered, he could clearly see the excitement that she was trying hard to hold back. She lightly swayed back and forth on her feet, and her eyes were bright and lively with enthusiasm. Looking down at her from above, Rukia was smiling warmly as she spoke, and her face held an incredible gentleness that he couldn't quite describe.

It seemed as though the two of them had already started to get along and Ichigo couldn't help but grin lightly at the sight.

'Looks like this was a good idea after all.'

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 2_

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	3. The Start of a Bond

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** Chapter three. Not much else to say, I always suck at writing author's notes.

May contain errors as always. Enjoy.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 3_

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There were many skyscrapers in the downtown area of Karakura, but few could match the towering height of those that lay at the heart of the city. They were competing with one another for recognition just like the major companies that worked within them. Atop one of these great buildings was a giant room; it was an enormous office, probably for someone of great importance. But with the curtains drawn over its windows, the entire room was draped in darkness and the silhouettes of the two figures that resided within it could be barely seen.

One sat behind what looked to be a large desk, while the other stood rigidly in the middle of the room.

"So, you've finally met him." A male voice said, coming from the person sitting at the desk.

"You didn't tell me that he had a daughter." The female voice replied from the center of the room.

"I didn't tell you about a lot of things but I still expect you to do your job, understood?" The male voice said firmly.

The female figure paused for a moment, but quickly replied in a stern voice.

"Understood."

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><p><em><strong>The Start of a Bond<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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The rays of the morning sun filtered through the front windows of the Kurosaki Bakery. The warm glow of light illuminated the body of Kurosaki Ichigo as he sat on a wooden stool behind the glass counter. With eyes closed peacefully, he was resting with his head leaned against the back wall. His eyes slowly opened at the sound of birds chirping outside, and he looked at the clock at the far side of the room. Noticing how late it was starting to get, he sighed and halfheartedly started to stir.

He shifted off the stool and tentatively tried to stand on his injured ankle, but it was a futile effort. With a grunt of pain, he fell back onto his seat with a loud thud. His eyes clenched shut at the pain that shot up from his leg and his hand gripped his left thigh in an attempt to soothe it.

"Shit..." He muttered.

He reluctantly reached for one of his crutches that lay against the counter and got back onto his feet. Unlike before where he had trouble using both of them, he seemed to have familiarized himself already, and looked fairly comfortable using just one to walk around.

"Good morning, Papa!" A voice greeted cheerfully.

He turned, and his eyes caught sight of his daughter coming down the back hallway of the bakery where the living space and the stairs were located. Her orange hair bounced up and down as she skipped towards him with a bright smile on her face. She gave her father a quick hug, taking extra care not to hurt him.

"Morning, Umi. I was just about to go wake you up." Ichigo replied. He noticed the abnormally cheerful look on her face. "Why are you so excited this morning?"

"Because Miss Rukia is coming over today!" Umi replied eagerly.

Ichigo blinked a few times. "Miss Rukia?"

"She's a lady like you said after all, just like the princesses you read about in fairytales!" Umi said, spreading her arms out and spinning around. Her eyes were sparkling. "That's what I thought of when I first saw her!"

Ichigo remained indifferent, despite her enthusiasm.

"Is that so?" He replied blankly. He bent down and poked his daughter gently on the forehead, causing her to cry out in protest. "But before you do anything, you need to go clean up and get dressed. You still have school today, remember?"

Umi glowered at him, pouting as she rubbed the spot where he had poked her. "Yes, I remember."

"Now get going." Ichigo said firmly.

"Okaaayyy..." She replied in a defeated tone before walking off.

Ichigo made his way back to his stool and he sat down with a slight huff. A moment later, he raised his gaze as the door to the bakery slowly swung open. To his surprise, Kuchiki Rukia peeked her head in timidly, looking around the modest sized bakery with curious expression on her face. She continued to look around for a bit until she finally noticed him sitting behind the counter.

Any uncertainty she felt about entering seemed to disappear upon sight of him.

"Good morning, Ichigo." She greeted him as she walked up to the counter.

"Morning, Rukia." Ichigo greeted back. He looked at her perplexedly. "It almost looked like you were afraid to come in."

"Well, you can't blame me. This place is pretty shady looking from the outside." She replied with a small frown.

Ichigo scowled lightly and he looked up in thought. He remembered that he had nearly said the same thing to Urahara a while ago. "For some reason, that was a little bit more insulting than it should have been."

"But it feels really homely when you step inside." Rukia said as she looked around the bakery with a small smile.

Ichigo stared at her for a bit with an inexpressive gaze.

"Thanks again." He said, getting a look of surprise from her. "For coming over to help me."

"No need to thank me." Rukia replied. "So, what will we be doing first? Should I go put on an apron?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to reply, but stopped at the sound of small feet thumping against the floor.

"I'll explain after." He said blankly.

"After?" Rukia asked.

A blur of orange tackled her in the side and she was nearly knocked off her feet. Looking as though she had just been hit by a train, Rukia's eyes were wide with surprise as she realized what had hit her was nothing more than just a little girl that was hugging her. None the wiser, Umi smiled brightly as she looked up at her.

"Miss Rukia!" She said cheerfully. "Good morning!"

"Ah, good morning, Umi -" Rukia started.

Before she could say anything else, Umi started to tug at her hand. "Follow me, I'll show you around the house!"

"Ah -" Rukia managed to stutter as she was pulled along.

"My room is back here! That's the couch where Papa sleeps now since he can't go upstairs!" Umi said brightly as she pointed things out to her. "Oh and that's..."

Rukia glanced back at Ichigo and gave him a small smile, implying to him that even though his daughter was quiet a handful, she didn't mind it at all. In fact, she looked like she was enjoying herself as she was dragged along by Umi. Ichigo propped his head on his elbow and watched as the two of them disappeared down the hallway into Umi's room.

Once they were out of sight, a small, nearly unseen smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

...

The Kurosaki Bakery was a relatively small place. The kitchen where all the baking and cooking was done was located in a tiny room near the counter. A big oven took up most of the space in the back, and a wooden table where all the cooking was done was situated across from it. Atop it was a multitude of common ingredients and several cooking appliances.

Rukia and Ichigo were working at this table. They sat a small distance from one another in stools as they were kneading dough on large flat pans. With an apron on and white handkerchief tied around the top of her head, Rukia seemed a little awkward and out of place, but with a determined glint in her eyes, she looked like she was trying her hardest despite this fact.

Ichigo looked over and watched as she worked. "Hm. You're getting better."

"Believe it or not, I actually know how to cook." She said with a small frown. "It only went bad the first time because you gave me crappy instructions."

"Right." He replied sarcastically. "I obviously told you to put orange juice into the mix."

"Shut up!" She said angrily, puffing her cheeks indignantly.

Ichigo smirked and turned back to his work.

"So, how have you been holding up with your injury?" Rukia asked.

"I've been doing fine." Ichigo replied. "I can still get the baking done, but I usually have Umi help me with the restocking."

"Your daughter is such a sweet girl."She said as she smiled softly. "I think she showed me every one of her dolls this morning."

"She can be a little over-excitable sometimes." He said quietly. "But that's partly my fault. She's really attached to me, so she gets lonely sometimes because I'm always so busy. She never complains about it, but that's probably because she's used to it."

He had a faraway look on his face as he spoke. "After all, it's always been just the two of us."

Rukia glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, and her features softened slightly. He had artfully dodged any references of Umi's mother as though he had done it countless times in the past. She quickly realized that the reason for that was probably connected to the distant expression on his face, but she held her tongue and didn't pursue the subject.

Instead, she focused back on her the dough she was kneading.

"Do I keep adding flour?" She asked.

"Yes. You don't want to get it permanently stuck to the pan - again."

"Give me a break! That was my first try!"

Ichigo glanced at Rukia. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she diligently worked. She seemed so concentrated on her task that she didn't even notice a white streak of flour on her cheek that she had marked herself with when she had rubbed her face with her hand. He smiled lightly. Even though the woman beside him was a mature individual, she had endearing qualities that were quite childlike.

"Hah! I did it!" Rukia said proudly. She turned to Ichigo expectantly. "How is it?"

Ichigo looked down at the table and his expression instantly deadpanned. The dough was shaped into a crude image of a rabbit's head. He stared darkly at her creation, as though it was something that should have never been created in the first place.

"Why is it in a shape of a rabbit?" He asked.

Rukia look surprised by his comment and quickly looked away with a small scowl. It was obvious that she didn't expect such a reaction from him.

"Shut up!" She said angrily. Her cheeks flushed with a slight tinge of pink. "I just thought that it would look better if it was a rabbit..."

"Oh..." Ichigo replied, staring at her blankly. "So you wanted to make a rabbit..."

Rukia glared at him. "What's with that look? Are you laughing at me?"

"Oi." He said as he pointed at her.

"What?" She replied in confusion.

"You also have flour all over the right side of your face." Ichigo said.

Rukia rubbed the side of her face with the back of her hand and was surprised to see that it was true. She turned back to him with the intention of a retort, but when she raised her eyes to look back at him, she realized that he was smirking at her. Her entire face reddened with embarrassment and a nerve thumped angrily on her forehead.

"Why you...!" She said through gritted teeth. Her hand grabbed the bunny-shaped dough. "How dare you insult me!"

She threw the dough and it smacked him right in the cheek. Ichigo scowled as it slowly slid off his face and onto the floor, leaving a bunny-shaped flour imprint on his cheek. For a few moments, Rukia stared at him, looking both shocked and horrified that she had thrown something at him. But little by little, the corner of her lips curled upward.

And then she started to laugh.

It was a soft and blissful laugh that was free of reservation, and Ichigo was surprised to hear such a wondrous sound coming from someone like her. Unable to help himself, he smiled lightly, and soon found himself laughing along with her.

...

"Thanks for coming!" Rukia said as she bowed politely.

"Thank you for coming." Ichigo said, following up with her gesture.

"Oh, no problem at all! Enjoy the dumplings I gave you!" The older woman said as she bowed back.

The two of them were bowing to a customer, a lady who looked like she was in her late-thirties. She looked like a particularly gentle person, with both a motherly smile and an aura of easiness that one would expected from a friendly neighbor.

She opened the door to leave but glanced back once more to give Rukia a warm smile. "Please take care of Ichigo-kun for me!"

"Oh, I will!" Rukia replied cheerfully.

Ichigo sighed lightly as the door closed, scratching his head as he sat back down.

"It seems like all your customers are middle-aged woman." Rukia said with mild surprise. She looked at the plastic containers and baskets that were stacked on the counter. "They've been leaving you all sorts of gifts too, even though you've been trying hard to refuse every one of them."

Her eyes lit up as she lifted up one of the containers. "Oh, look at how much azuki bean paste is in here!"

Ichigo ignored her comment, and was looking rather irritated. Noticing this, Rukia couldn't help looking at him curiously.

"Are you alright?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine." He replied insistently.

She stared at him for a moment. "It's these gifts, isn't it?"

Ichigo didn't respond, but she knew the answer well enough.

"They are just trying to help you." Rukia said with a small frown.

"It's not because they are helping me." Ichigo replied quietly. "It's the reason why they are helping me."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Most of them are the mothers of Umi's classmates. They know I'm a single parent,so they think I'm always having a hard time. They always do unnecessary things like giving me extra food, or buying something from the bakery even when they don't want anything." Ichigo said with a tone of irritation. "It's frustrating. They look at me as though I can't stand on my own two feet."

"Funnily enough, you can't stand on your own two feet right now." Rukia said flatly, getting a glare from Ichigo.

"Che." He replied.

"But you know, if they just did these things out of pity for you, then wouldn't they would just do as little as possible to keep a clear conscience? By the looks of things, they are going out of their way to help you." She said thoughtfully. "Shouldn't you be a little grateful for that?"

"I know that if it wasn't for them, things would be a lot harder for me. I'm grateful for that." He replied. His features hardened. "But it doesn't mean that they have a right to intrude in my life. I didn't ask for their help."

Rukia huffed. "I guess it can't be helped. You seem to be the type of man that always refuses help, even when it is obvious you need it." She said as she turned to him. "But do you know what? I think you're only like that because you don't want to be a burden to anyone."

He glanced at her with a slight look of surprise, but she only smiled at him.

"But unfortunately, you're stuck with someone like me." She continued. "Even if you don't want any of my help, I'll be there to give you some, no matter how hard you try to refuse."

Ichigo stared at her for a moment before looking away. His eyes softened just slightly at the meaning of her words, but he seemed determined not to be affected by them, and quickly covered it up with a small scowl.

"You sure are a stubborn person, Rukia." He said.

"Tawake." She replied playfully. "That's my line."

...

Later that day, the amount of customers had died down and the two of them were able to relax for a bit. Finding little else to do, they started looking through pictures of different pastries together, perhaps to find something that Rukia might have wanted to learn how to bake. She was leaning across the counter on her arms and was looking at each picture with wonder while Ichigo explained the difficulty of creating each one. Her eyes lit up as they came across a particularly difficult one.

"Oh! I want to learn how to make this!" Rukia said determinedly.

Ichigo looked at the picture and his face darkened.

"Uh, there's a problem with that." He replied.

"Hm?" She asked.

"I don't know how to make that." He said dumbly.

"What!" Rukia replied loudly. She glared at him. "What kind of baker are you?"

"Geh…" He muttered with a scowl.

"Oh, I see." She said smugly as she crossed her arms. "You are really are just a small time baker after all." Ichigo glared at her, but she continued as though she didn't even notice it. "It's a shame really. I was looking forward to learning from a true master."

"Shut up!" Ichigo finally snapped. He pointed down the hallway. "If you really want to make it then go get the recipe book from upstairs!"

Rukia smirked at him victoriously and turned to leave.

Ichigo huffed with irritation, and watched impassively as she walked down the hallway. He stared at her retreating backside and the memories of their day together flashed in his thoughts. His eyes softened, and he looked away with a tender expression on his face.

'How long has it been since I've been so comfortable with someone?' He thought to himself.

Rukia reached the end of the hallway and started to make her way up the wooden stairs. She paused halfway when she realized that she didn't actually know where the recipe book was.

"Where did you say the recipe book was again?" Rukia asked loudly.

"Upstairs, in the room to your left!" Ichigo voice yelled out from down the hall. "It'll be the one on top of the bookshelf!"

Rukia made the rest of her way upstairs and walked into the room that he had mentioned. The room was dimly lit so she moved over to the window and drew open the curtains. She looked around and realized that she was in Ichigo's bedroom. His bed was still well made since it hadn't been touched in days. A bass guitar sat near the back wall of the room, though the thin layer of dust on it showed that he hadn't used it at all recently.

Her eyes fell upon some papers on the desk near his bed. From the numbers on them, they looked like little more than just bills. They were stacked messily atop one another, and there was enough that it looked like there was several months worth of billing history.

'That's right...' Rukia thought as she stared at them. Her face fell slightly. 'I nearly forgot...'

She took one last look at the doorway as though she was feeling guilty about what she was going to do, but her features hardened as she threw away the last of her hesitation.

Rukia walked over to the desk and picked up the bills. After glancing through them, she took out her phone and took quick snapshots of each page with its camera. She did this with surprising efficiency and was able to capture the shots in a no time at all. She doubled checked the images on her phone, and when she was satisfied with the results, she placed her phone back into her pocket and returned the bills back onto the table.

'This should be enough for now.' She thought with a small sigh.

She started to look around again.

"Now for the recipe book." She said quietly.

Her eyes scanned the shelf at the other side of the room, and saw that the recipe book she was looking for was laying on the very top between several boxes. She was barely able to reach the top, and had to tip-toe just slightly so she could reach the book. As she pulled the book off the shelf, it knocked into a box nearby, causing its contents to spill onto the floor. Rukia frowned at the mess she made, and placed the recipe book aside so she could clean up.

"Jeez, how troublesome." She muttered to herself as she bent down.

Rukia started to pick up the things that fell out but one object caught her eye. It was an old picture frame. She picked it up and looked at the person in the picture. She was beautiful woman with long orange hair a bright smile on her face. Rukia's fingers wiped at the dust that covered the picture, and turned it over when she felt something odd on the back of it.

A letter was attached to the backing of it. It looked old and wrinkled as though it had once been soaked by water. She carefully pulled out the letter and set picture frame aside. She looked over it; the envelope was unsealed and contained a few pages within it. She turned the letter over and was barely able to make out what was written on the front of it.

"From... Inoue Orihime..." She read.

Flipping it back over, she reached inside and removed one of the pages as carefully as she could, making sure not to rip or tear anything. When she finally managed to pull it out, her eyes lit up at the state of it; the paper was strewn with wrinkles just like the envelope, making all the writing on it illegible. She glanced at the other contents of the letter and realized that all the pages were in the same condition.

She looked away in thought for a moment and pulled out her phone to make a call.

"Hello? Kuchiki Rukia speaking. Put Yamada Hanatarou on the line please." She said courteously. "Hanatarou?"

Her violet eyes glanced back over the name on the letter.

"I need a favor."

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 3_

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	4. The Girl Without a Mother

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishing.

**Author's Notes:** Chapter four. I apologize for not answering story questions from reviews and PMs. Right now, there's a lot of vague things going on in this story, but I promise that things will be eventually be explained - even if things are a bit slow right now.

Anyways, enjoy.

Edit: Anon reviews will now be disabled due to trolling, flaming and non-constructive criticism.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 4_

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There was a room in the Kurosaki bakery that was quite unlike the rest. Toys of all different types were lined up on several shelves. The walls were decorated with a handful of colorfully drawn pictures. On the tiny bed that lay near the window, a small figure slowly stirred beneath a overly large blanket, and a moment later, Kurosaki Umi poked her head out from underneath the covers.

She blinked tiredly before letting out a soft yawn. Her tiny hands pulled at her messy orange hair, and she pushed away the covers to get out of bed. She stretched cutely as she stood up, rubbing her eyes just briefly before turning her attention to the picture frame on her bedside table.

She smiled at the beautiful woman in the picture.

"Good morning, Mama!" She said happily.

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><p><strong><em>The Girl Without a Mother<em>**

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It was late in the afternoon.

School was over and Umi walked out of the yard along with the rest of the students. She looked around for a bit when she exited the gate, looking hopeful as though she might see her father there, but something else caught her eye instead. It was a small flower stand that had been set up nearby the school. The bright array of colors seemed to draw her like a honey bee, and she ran over to take a closer look.

"Excuse me!" She called out to the owner. "Can I look at them?"

The lady who owned the little stand was surprised to see such a small girl approach her modest store, but she couldn't help smiling at her enthusiasm. She nodded and lowered some of the other flowers so Umi could see them a little easier.

"Ah! These are really pretty flowers!" She said as she looked at them with wonder.

"You like flowers, don't you sweetie?" The lady asked. She pulled out one of the flowers from a bouquet and held it out to her. "Here's a little something for you then."

Umi took the flower from her with a look of amazement.

"For me?" She asked innocently. "What kind of flower is this?"

"This is a carnation. You're suppose to give carnations on mother's day." The lady explained. "So give this to your mother as a present, okay? Even though it's not mother's day, I'm sure she'll love it!"

Umi's face fell for a moment, but she quickly hid it with a smile. "Thank you!"

She started to walk away, but her footsteps gradually slowed to a halt. With an inexpressive gaze, she looked at all her classmates around her. Some of them were walking with their parents, while others were walking with their friends. Her friends waved at her as they passed by and she waved back to them with a smile.

But that smile disappeared as soon as it had came.

Even though there was so many people around her, she was unable to shake off that feeling that she was the only one that was alone.

...

"Sup, Ichigo!" A loud voice yelled, breaking the silence of the afternoon.

Arisawa Tatsuki smirked as she swung the door to the Kurosaki Bakery open with gusto, looking as though she was expecting a welcome that a hero would have deserved. However, she was sorely disappointed. Instead of giving her the welcome she was expecting, Ichigo looked up from behind the counter with as much excitement as a piece of driftwood.

"Oh, it's just you, Tatsuki." Ichigo said dully.

"Don't 'Oh, it's just you' me, Ichigo!" Tatsuki replied with a frown. She crossed her arms as she walked up to the counter. "What's with that greeting?"

"Nothing really." He said casually, brushing her off. "What are you doing here anyways? I thought you were still scheduled for a few more matches away from Karakura."

"My next match is close by so I dropped by your old man's clinic to get my arm checked out - I think I sprained a muscle in my last fight." Tatsuki said as she flexed her arm.

"That's what happens when you don't know the meaning of holding back." Ichigo said off-handedly. He noticed the sudden change of her expression, and knew that it was unrelated to his comment; there was something on her mind. "So, what are you doing here? You didn't come all this way just to say hi."

"I came by to see how you were doing. I heard from your dad that you got into an accident and got your ankle broken. He said that it's going to take you eight weeks to heal. That's pretty serious." Tatsuki said. She looked at him firmly. "He also told me that you have a woman coming over every now and then - the same person that cause that accident, right?"

"Ah. Rukia's been helping me out for a couple of weeks now to make up for it." Ichigo explained. He looked at her with confusion. "Why are you asking anyways?"

"I've known you since we were kids, Ichigo, so I know the kind of person you are. You aren't the type to trust people easily. Even if she's genuinely sorry for what she did, no one in their right mind offers to help a stranger for two months." Tatsuki asked with a small frown. "So tell me Ichigo, how come you can trust her so easily?"

"That's none of your business." He replied flatly.

"Figures." She said with a huff. "Even though I told you to make friends for Umi's sake, this wasn't what I meant by that. But I don't think you trust her just because of what I said. You've always had weird reasons for trusting people."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call those reasons 'weird'." Ichigo said indignantly.

Tatsuki smirked at him and glanced at the door. "Anyways, where's Umi? I wanted to see her before I left again. Shouldn't she be home by now?"

"I'm sure she's hanging out with her friends." Ichigo replied. "She doesn't have any afterschool activities."

"Hey, you should let Umi come to the dojo after school one of these days!" Tatsuki said excitedly. "I can teach her how to defend herself!"

Ichigo's face deadpanned. "I don't want her turning out like you - Geh!"

Tatsuki had punched his arm without even a hint of restraint.

"Why? Am I too manly or something?" She asked as she held up her fist threateningly.

Ichigo rubbed his arm with a scowl. "More like a monster."

...

Kuchiki Rukia was driving along the road of the Kasazaki district. The roads of the suburbs were a rather quiet place, and she found it relaxing to drive in such an area. As she drove on the bridge over the Karasu River, she caught sight of a familiar figure sitting on the river bank. Curious at who it could be, she pulled over to the sidewalk and stepped out of her car. It was only after she took a closer look that she finally realized who it was.

"Umi...?" She asked, before quickly making her way over.

Rukia paused for a moment to catch her breath as she reached the top of the bank. Umi was sitting by herself on the grass below. She held her knees against her chest and her face was buried in her arms.

"Umi!" She called out to her. Umi turned, surprised to see Rukia walking down the slope towards her. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Miss Rukia...?" Umi said with surprise.

Rukia's eyes lit up. There were streaks of tears on Umi's cheeks. The little girl in front of her was always so cheerful and happy that such an expression surprised her. She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Much to Umi's surprise, Rukia knelt down and started to wipe her face.

"Hey..." Rukia said gently. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Umi lowered her gaze and she nodded.

...

Tatsuki smiled as she flipped through the pages of a small notebook. The name 'Umi ' was written across the front of it in different colors. Cute animal stickers and several messy drawings surrounded the name in a messy and childish collage.

"Looks like Umi is still having trouble writing kanji. It looks like chicken scratch." Tatsuki said with a small chuckle as she read what was written..

"That's why she still writes her name in kana." Ichigo said. He scratched the back of his head with a slight scowl, feeling embarrassed for his daughter's sake. "She still can't write out her full name."

"It reminds me of Orihime." Tatsuki said with a nostalgic smile. Ichigo froze at the mention of the name, and looked away impassively her as she spoke. "She was really bad with kanji when she was little - and I don't think she actually changed much when she got older. She was actually the person who told me that my name suited me more if it was written in kana."

She looked out the window towards the orange sky.

"Orihime was a weird person, wasn't she?" She continued quietly. "You know, she once told me that she would never write the names of people down in her own journal because she was afraid someone might read it. What a stupid reason, right? She was such a silly girl."

Her eyes softened. "But it's those silly things that I miss most about her. Even though I was the person who knew her the longest, the person who misses her the most is probably the one who never got to know her at all."

...

"'Why isn't Mama still alive?'" Umi started quietly as she looked up at the sky. Rukia, who was sitting close by, looked a little surprised by what she had said. "That's the kind of question I always ask myself. If Mama was here, then I could make her presents on Mother's Day, talk about things that I can't talk to Papa about, and we can go to the park together like a real family."

Her face fell slightly. "I just feel really lonely sometimes."

"I understand." Rukia said. She gazed out towards the river. "I grew up without any parents. My older sister took care of me most of my life, so she was the closest thing I've ever had to a mother. When she got married, my brother-in-law became the father figure in my life. I had the two of them, but part of me knew it wasn't the same thing so I was always envious of people who had real parents."

She turned to Umi and gave her a small smile. "But then I realized something important."

"What's that?" Umi asked.

"I realized that I already have people that love me and that it was selfish to want more than that." Rukia said thoughtfully. "It's okay to want things, but you can't forget about the things you already have."

Umi stared at the Rukia with a look of surprise. Her words had carried such sincerity that she couldn't help but grin lightly at the feeling it gave her.

"You're right, Miss Rukia. It is selfish, isn't it?" Umi said. She rubbed her eyes and smiled brightly. "After all, I still have the best Papa in the world!"

"That's right." Rukia agreed, returning the smile.

...

"Umi acts really air-headed and silly, but she's actually a really sensitive child." Tatsuki continued with a sad smile. "Every little thing that reminds her that she doesn't have a mother really brings her down. But even then, she just grits her teeth and tried to smile through the pain.

She paused for a bit before finishing. "Just like the way Orihime always did."

Ichigo, who had remained silent the entire time, had nothing to add. He stood listlessly behind the counter with his mouth worn into a thin line. Though trying his best to look emotionless, a shadow of sadness could be seen reflected in his brown eyes.

Tatsuki took a deep breath and tried to blink away the tears that had threatened to fall. "Well, I need to go, my ride is going to be leaving soon." She said quickly to change the topic. She turned to head out. "Tell Umi, I said 'Hi', alright?"

"Wait, Tatsuki." Ichigo called out to her. With a look of surprise, she turned around and caught a bag he tossed her. He gave her a small reassuring grin. "You'll need some snacks along the way."

Tatsuki gave him a grateful smile."Thanks, Ichigo."

...

"Hey, Miss Rukia..." Umi started timidly. "Can you please not tell Papa about this?"

"Hn?" Rukia was surprised by her request.

"He doesn't show it but I know he hates it when I cry. He always blames himself for things." Umi replied. "I don't want to make Papa sad."

"Your father is a strange man, isn't he?" Rukia said with a small huff. "He always scowls and acts like he doesn't care, but he's really a kind and gentle person inside."

"Miss Rukia..." Umi muttered.

"Don't worry." Rukia said as she turned to her, holding a finger up to her mouth. She then held out her pinky. "This will be a secret between us."

"That's right! A secret!" Umi agreed and locked her pinky with Rukia's.

They shook and grinned at one another.

"It's getting late, so I'll take you home." Rukia said as she got up and dusted her skirt. "Your Papa is probably waiting for you."

"Ah!" Umi replied as she got up as well. Her face lit up excitedly as an idea popped into her head. "Oh, and Miss Rukia..." She pulled the carnation from the side of her backpack and held it out. "Thank you." She said appreciatively.

Rukia looked surprised by her gift and seemed almost reluctant to take it, but she was unable to resist the look that Umi gave her. She reached out and slowly took it with a warm smile.

"You're welcome."

...

The dimming light of the day flowed through the windows of a large condo, it's final rays illuminating the carnation that Umi had given Rukia. It sat peacefully in a glass cup on a small coffee table.

The condo itself was very empty; there were very few pieces of furniture scattered around. Besides the small coffee table, there was a large rug and a single arm chair that was located a few feet away. The walls contained a few paintings and pictures, but they did very little to cover up the white space between them. There was a lack of personal attachment in the room, and it felt like nothing more than a life-size dollhouse.

Further within the condo was a large bedroom. Just like the rest of the place, it was relatively empty aside from the queen-sized bed. Rukia was sitting quietly on it with a laptop in her lap. She was focused on the screen, where she had images of the bills she had taken from Ichigo's room open. Her eyes darted back and forth as she looked at them. After going through them several times, she scowled with an audible sigh and she rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"It doesn't make any sense..." She muttered to herself. "There's no connection here..."

She leaned back and looked up in thought. "But if this isn't it, then what else could it possibly be?"

Her phone started to ring on her bedside table, and the sound instantly snapped her out of her thoughts. She grabbed it, glanced over the name of the one calling, and quickly answered.

"Hanatarou?" She answered.

"Good evening, Rukia-san." The voice from her phone replied. "I looked for information on the person you told me to look up, but all I could find was a Death Certificate. There was no other public files. I sent a copy to your email if you want to take a look at it."

"Thank you, Hanatarou." Rukia said gratefully. "How about the restoration process on those pictures I sent you? Is that going well?"

"It's going very slowly actually." Hanatarou answered with a small sigh. "The state of the paper is in a terrible condition and the low-res pictures only make it more difficult. It's going to take some more time, but I'm confident I can restore most, if not all of it."

"Don't worry about it." She said reassuringly. "Do you have anything yet?"

"Yes, Rukia-san." He said. "I'll send you what I have so far."

"Thank you for your work." She said.

She ended the call and placed her phone aside. Going back to her laptop, she opened her email and looked over the image that Hanatarou had sent her. Her eyes scanned the certificate, searching for the most relevant pieces of information.

'Inoue Orihime.' She read. 'Died at age eighteen due to complications of childbirth.'

"Umi's mother... huh?" Rukia muttered.

She remembered that the only photo she saw of the woman at the Kurosaki Bakery was the one on Umi's table. Ichigo had no pictures of her at all in her room, and the one she found a few weeks ago was an old picture that looked as though it had been put away for years.

'If she's Umi's mother, then why does Ichigo always act as though she never existed?' Rukia thought to herself. 'He never mentions her - rather he tries his best to avoid the topic.'

She closed out the windows and opened the next email. It was an image of one of the pages from the old letter she had found, but the image had been edited. The words on the letter were now legible.

She started to read it.

'Hey. How are you?

I guess that's not the best thing to say, is it? I've been sitting here for hours now thinking about what I wanted to say to you first and I didn't even realize it! Time sure flies by, doesn't it? For example, it feels like just yesterday that I was just a little girl dreaming about being a princess, and today, I'm about to have our baby! But enough with my ramblings. I know you how much you hate it when I do that.

Are you wondering why I'm writing to you? I'm writing to you because there are things I need to say to you. I don't know if you've noticed, but it's been almost a year now. This past year has passed by like a dream for me. How about you?

Well, I've been doing okay. The occasional morning sickness can be rough, but that hasn't stopped me from being excited about our baby. She's a very energetic child and likes to kick a lot. I think she has the same tastes as me, because I'm always craving wasabi on pineapple. Thinking about it now makes me want to get some, but what makes me really happy is thinking about sharing such moments with the baby one day. I'm very happy right now.

But... it hasn't always been that way.

You know, it was really hard for me at the beginning. I struggled for months after you left Karakura. All I could think about was how you had left me, even though you knew that I was pregnant. Even now, I hate you for that, and I don't know if I can ever forgive you for what you did.'

Rukia's eyes widened with surprise and she quickly went back to reread the last few lines. Her expression fell grim when she realized that she didn't read any of it wrong.

"Ichigo..." She muttered. "He..."

An image of Ichigo flashed in her memories.

"Abandoned this woman...?"

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 4_

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	5. The Unfinished Rain

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishing.

**Author's Notes:** Chapter five. I couldn't update yesterday due to problems.

I normally don't talk about reviews, but I really want to thank you guys for the reviews of the last chapter. It shows me that my intentions for this story are being realized. That makes me incredibly happy as an author. I'm glad to see that many of you already have your own idea of what intentions these characters might have and what kind of people they are. Though it may not be clear now, little by little, the true color of these character's hearts will be revealed in this story.

I hope you guys have the patience to keep reading until then. Enjoy.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 5_

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It was raining that night.

Water droplets nearly the size of bullets fell from the heavens, dropping upon the earth with no signs of stopping. The dark clouds that covered the sky rumbled with powerful thunder and streaks of lightning illuminated the dark night. Small trees bent to the will of the strong wind that joined the storm, creating a howling symphony that sent chills down the spines of even the bravest of people.

Despite this, one boy ran through this storm, a boy who looked no older than eighteen. Deep breaths came in and out through his mouth. His loud footsteps splashed puddles with each stride. With no hood or umbrella, his short orange hair was completely soaked by the rain. He fought hard against the wind as he ran by holding an arm up against his face to protect it, but it could not protect him from the cold that came along with it.

He entered a large hospital and ran through its long white hallways, ignoring the calls from security and nurses as he passed by them. Before he could reach the ER, the light above the doors darkened to signal the end of the operation. He came to a halt just as a black-haired doctor walked through the swinging doors. There was a grim look on the doctor's face as he shook his head.

The young man's hand fell limply to his side.

And all fell silent, except for the cries of a newborn child.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up on the couch he was sleeping on. His abrupt movement knocked away the thin blanket that was covering his body. With heavy breaths, he grabbed his hair for a moment as he tried to clear his head. It took him a while before he was able to calm himself down.

"That was just a memory..." He muttered.

He turned towards the window where the rain was pounding relentlessly against the glass. On the table beside it was a small calendar. The date 'September 3rd' was circled on it.

"I see..." Ichigo said quietly. He looked back to the falling rain. "It's almost that day again..."

.

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><p><em><strong>The Unfinished Rain<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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"Why are you closing the bakery tomorrow?"

Kuchiki Rukia looked confused as she stared at the man that was standing across the counter from her. With her eyes brows furrowed and her arms crossed over her chest, she looked a little more intimidating that most would have given her credit for. Kurosaki Ichigo huffed and gave her a slightly exasperated look; he knew that she wasn't going to give in without a proper explanation.

"What's with that accusatory tone?" He asked dully.

"You don't normally close on Monday." She followed up.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head and sighed in defeat. "Well, the reason for that -"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kurosaki Umi popped up at the front the counter right next to Rukia. She surprised the two of them with her sudden appearance. She tiptoed and leaned forward over the counter with a bright smile.

"Tomorrow is Mama's birthday, Miss Rukia!" She said, glancing at Rukia. "We always go visit her on her birthday!"

Ichigo scowled lightly. He reached over and tousled his daughter's hair messily, much to her displeasure.

"You're so noisy." He said with irritation though he couldn't hide the affection behind his words.

"Hey, that hurts!" Umi said. She pouted as she tried to fix her hair. "You're so mean, Papa!"

Rukia smirked at the two of them and helped Umi even out the orange strands of hair that were still sticking out. "I see. I was going to come by tomorrow to help out, but it seems like that's not necessary." She turned to Ichigo. "Sorry if I pried too much into your business. I was just worried that something was happening to this place."

Ichigo smirked at her. "Seems like you've gotten attached this place."

"As if." Rukia scoffed.

Umi looked at the two of them and an idea popped into her head. "Hey, Papa..." She started with a small grin. "Since Grandpa can't come this time because of work, why don't we invite Miss Rukia along with us?"

"Eh..." Rukia paused awkwardly at the suggestion. She smiled lightly. "I don't think that's -"

Umi pulled at her hand. "Come on, it'll be fun." She turned to her father. "Right, Papa?"

Rukia glanced at Ichigo as if she was silently asking for his permission. He looked away for a moment and she noticed the hint of uneasiness that flickered across his features. She had expected him to refuse, but when he turned back to her, any hesitation he had felt seemed to have disappeared.

"She's right. You should come along with us." He said with a light grin.

Rukia hesitated for a moment before she answered with a grin of her own. "Okay."

...

The crescent moon shone brightly through the window of Rukia's room. Drops of water still remained on the glass, leftover from the afternoon rain.

Piles of folders and sheets of paper lay messily on her bed. There were also copies of old newspapers, information sheets, and random scraps of paper. Each one of them had been thoroughly looked through; there were pen marks all over them. Some of the information had been crossed out, while others were circled.

Rukia held her knees up her chest as she sat in the midst of all the paperwork. With her chin resting on her arms, she stared quietly at the things around her. Whatever she had been looking for from the mess around her, it was clear that she did not find it.

"Almost ten years worth of information on these two and I still can't figure it out." She muttered. "I'm running out of time..."

Her eyes slowly shifted to a picture of Ichigo that lay at the corner of her bed. His words from earlier that day echoed in her thoughts.

"_She's right. You should come along with us."_

"Why did I hesitate when he asked me that?" Rukia muttered to herself. "Up to this point, I've had no choice but to invade his privacy and I've never once hesitated when it came to that."

She looked out the window towards the moon.

"So why is this any different?"

...

Karakura Cemetery was the resting place of many lost loved ones. Most of the graves there were typical Japanese family graves. They were large, engraved stone monuments that also had a place for flowers, and incense. The cemetery itself was an enormous multi-level complex. It had multiple different levels that were separated by gentle slopes and stone steps that led from one level to another.

Umi was zooming along one of the slopes. She was skipping with her arms stretched out like an airplane, giggling lively as she ran about in her yellow raincoat. A little bit further behind her, Ichigo and Rukia were slowly making their way up the ramp. Rukia was unable to hold back a frown as Umi continued to run out ahead.

"Hey, slow down a bit!" She called out to her, but Umi didn't hear her. "Jeez."

"It's alright. She's just excited to be here." Ichigo said.

"Still, she should be waiting for you." Rukia said with a frown. She watched him as he walked up the slope with his crutch. "Are you doing alright?"

"I'm fine." Ichigo replied. He scowled. "At least I don't have to worry about puddles on this slope, even though my cast is waterproof."

"It's been raining all week, hasn't it? I'm glad we brought umbrellas." Rukia said cheerfully, motioning to bag she was holding. She stopped for a moment and looked up into the sky.

"It looks like it's going to rain again today, doesn't it?" She asked.

Ichigo stopped beside her and followed her gaze. His face fell impassive at the sight of the cloudy sky.

"Ah." He replied.

...

'Inoue Orihime.' The name written on the gravestone had been cleaned with water. Flowers and incense had already been placed at the front of it.

"... So, I saw the cutest rabbit at the pet store last week, Mama. It's too bad Papa said we can't have pets in the bakery. Tomo-chan - I think I've told you about her before - she has a big fluffy white dog called Shingo! He's ginormous, like the size of a..."

Umi had been talking to her mother for a while now. She was sitting on the cold cement in front the grave, but she didn't seem uncomfortable. The two adults watching her were standing a small distance away and seemed content on letting her speak for as long as she needed to.

"Umi looks really happy. I can see why she was so excited to come here." Rukia said with a small smile.

"She never got to meet her mother, so to her, this is the closest she will ever get to being with her." Ichigo explained. "That kind of feeling makes her really happy."

"She's a weird one, isn't she?" Rukia said. "But the truth is, people are always focused on how sad these things are. Yet, she still manages to smile. Maybe if we can all be more like her, the world would be a happier place."

"I think so too." Ichigo agreed. "But I also think it gets more and more difficult for people who have a lot memories of the person they lost, especially if there are a lot of bad memories involved."

Rukia glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She looked away, wondering if there was any hidden meaning behind his words.

"That's right." She replied softly.

…

A while later, Umi was finally finished with her conversation. Ichigo watched as she ran up to Rukia and started to tell her about the various things she had discussed with her mother. Rukia listened quietly to her, unable to help the grin that tugged at her lips. Umi's enthusiasm always brought a smile to her face.

"Hey, Rukia." Ichigo said as he walked up to the grave. He glanced at them from over his shoulder. "Do you mind taking Umi to my mother's grave so she can pay her respects? She knows where it is."

He turned away from the two of them. "I'll catch up with you guys later." He said quietly.

Rukia fell silent as she stared at his backside. She knew why he had asked her to do that. No matter what words he used, or how carefully he phrased it, the intention behind them was obvious - he wanted to be left alone.

"Ah." Rukia replied. She turned to Umi with a smile. "Lead the way kiddo."

"This way! I know a shortcut!" Umi said, grabbing her hand and tugging her along.

They quickly disappeared down a flight of stone steps. Left by himself, Ichigo stood quietly in from of the grave. His eyes traced the name engraved on the stone, and he stared at it for a few silent moments before he started to speak.

"Yo." He said in a soft voice. "I know I say this to you every time I come here, but..."

Drops of rainwater started to hit the ground. It started slowly at first, but more and more drops soon followed after.

"I'm sorry."

...

Umi bowed respectfully in front of a grave that was engraved with the name 'Kurosaki Masaki.' A drop of water hit the top of her head and she looked up curiously into the sky. Her eyes lit up as she watched the rain start falling. She held out her hand to feel the raindrops as it started to get heavier. At her side, Rukia looked up as well.

"It's raining!" Umi said with surprise. She looked at the extra umbrella they had with them. "Papa doesn't have an umbrella with him!"

She grabbed it and took off before Rukia could say anything.

"Wait, Umi!" Rukia yelled as she gave chase. She cursed under her breath as she struggled to open her own umbrella.

Rukia ran after Umi up the stone steps, but as Umi reached the top of the stairs, she froze with a look of shock. Rukia ran up to her side and though she looked ready to scold Umi, she stopped when she saw the look on her face. It wasn't until Rukia followed Umi's gaze that she realized what had caused her to freeze right in her tracks.

"Papa..." Umi muttered.

Ichigo was standing in the exact same spot when they had left earlier. He hadn't noticed them at all; it seemed as though he was stuck in his own world. Without an umbrella to shield him from the rain, the water had already drenched his body. The expression he wore was heartbreaking. It was so full of sadness, regret, and pain. Water trickled down his face, washing down past brown eyes that held little life to them. It was shocking to see him like that.

"Papa -" Umi said as she tried to run forward to her father, but Rukia held out her arm to block her. She looked up at Rukia with surprise. "Miss Rukia...?"

"If your father wanted to be alone, then there's a reason for it." Rukia said firmly. "Even if you want to help him, there's no way for you to comfort him without hurting his feelings, no matter how careful you try to be. The only thing we can do for him..."

Her eyes fell slightly. "Is to wait for him until he's ready to talk."

Umi nodded solemnly and allowed herself to be led back down the stone steps by Rukia. Rukia glanced back once more over her shoulder to look at Ichigo.

'I think I've realized why I hesitated before. It was because I didn't want to see him like this.' She thought as she stared at him. 'That expression on his face... that's not the expression of a man who has suffered - that's the expression of man who is still suffering.'

The memories of the letter she read flickered in her thoughts. It had said that he had abandoned that woman, but the reason for it was not stated. 'It's hard to believe that a man like him would do such a thing...'

She turned away and disappeared down the steps with Umi at her side.

'Just what happened between you two...?'

...

The rain continued to fall and Ichigo was still standing before Inoue's grave. Footsteps splashed the water on the ground behind him, but he didn't even seem to notice. Rukia walked quietly up to his left side and held her umbrella so it sheltered the both of them from the rain. Ichigo remained quiet despite her appearance, and the two of them stood in silence for the longest time.

"Where's Umi?" He asked.

"Waiting for us at the shrine." She answered. "She'll be fine there."

"Why did you come back?" He asked again.

"Because it's raining." Rukia replied rather plainly. Her eyes narrowed, wondering if Ichigo had understood the meaning of her words. "When do you think the rain will stop?"

Ichigo didn't answer right away.

"I don't know." He finally replied.

Neither one of them said a single word afterwards. The sound of the falling rain filled the empty silence between them once more. Ichigo glanced at Rukia from the corner of his eyes, surprised by the fact that she was so quiet.

'She hasn't asked me what was wrong, nor has she said anything to comfort me - that means she didn't come back here to console me. She only brought one umbrella which means she didn't come here to give me one.' He thought. 'But then, why did she come back, if not for those reasons? Why is she standing here with me? Why does she...'

He turned back to the grave. 'Look so guilty...?'

Rukia's fingers tightened around the umbrella she held.

'He probably has all the answers I'm looking for, but how can I ask him? I want to ask him so many things, but I can't.' She thought to herself. 'I want to tell him the truth, but it's too dangerous. After everything that's happened, I can't do it...'

Her face contorted slightly. 'I can't make him suffer any more than I already have.'

Her eyes widened when she felt Ichigo's hand grab the handle of the umbrella just above her own. She looked at him questioningly, but he seemed determined not to meet her gaze.

"Let me carry it." He said quietly.

Rukia's features softened at his words and she turned back to the grave.

"It's heavy, so let me help you carry it." She said reassuringly. "You shouldn't have to carry it alone."

Ichigo looked at her with surprise. Her words had confused him. He turned back to the grave with an unreadable expression as he thought them over. Though he didn't know exactly if she had meant it like that or not, he had a feeling that what she had said before was unrelated to the umbrella in their hands.

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 5_

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	6. The Passing Days with You

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishing.

**Author's Notes:** Chapter six. Another late update. Still a bunch of errors too.

This chapter restates a lot of things and will introduce a few more questions, but this will be the last chapter of the opening arc and also the last of the ambiguity; the next couple of chapters will finally start answering things.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 6_

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The Kurosaki Clinic was a place where the healing of injuries from the smallest boo-boos to ones that required minor surgery were done. It wasn't a well-known place in Karakura; it sat in a rather far off corner of the suburbs. Patients of the clinic were often part of the close knitted community that surrounded it. The clinic itself was staffed by only one doctor, and that doctor was known to be friendly, eccentric -

"Give daddy a hug before you go -"

- And perhaps a bit annoying.

"Shut up, old man!" An angry voice yelled back.

Kurosaki Ichigo stepped out the clinic with a scowl. No longer hindered by a cast and crutches, he was finally able to walk on his own two feet. He tested the strength of his fully healed ankle and seemed satisfied by how well it had healed. His moment of contentment was interrupted by a noise of rampaging footsteps from within the clinic, and he turned his head just as the doors flew open.

"Kurosaki technique 59: Jumping-jackhammer-hug!" Kurosaki Isshin yelled as he soared through the doorway towards his son.

Ichigo reflexively ducked and Isshin sailed helplessly over his head. With a hollow thud, Isshin grunted as he landed face first onto the front lawn. Ichigo watched his father lay there motionlessly on the grass without an ounce of concern shown on his face.

"You..." Ichigo muttered in irritation. "What kind of father would attack his son right after he healed from a two month injury? Do you want to put me back in a cast or something?"

"This is the love of a true father, my son! I needed to check if you were really okay!" Isshin said with his voice slightly muffled by the ground.

He rolled over onto his back and jumped back onto his feet with the energy of a person who was twenty years younger than him. Ichigo rolled his eyes at his old man's behavior; for a man who was nearing fifties, he sure didn't act like such a person.

"You're all better now if you were able to react as fast as you did." Isshin said as he dusted himself off. Grass stains were all over his lab coat but he didn't seem to mind. He smiled as he clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "Now that you're completely healed, it looks like things are going to go back to the way they were before! Isn't that great?"

Ichigo paused for a moment as a new thought suddenly struck him. He looked away as a small frown made its way onto his face.

"Yeah, that's right." He said quietly.

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><p><em><strong>The Passing Days with You<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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A hand roughly reached into a mail box to pull out the letters inside.

Ichigo's brown eyes quickly glanced at each letter as he shifted through them. He suddenly paused when he came across a familiar looking envelope. For a few moments, he just stood there staring at it, looking as though he didn't know what to do with it. But when he finally snapped out of his daze, he quickly tore it up into pieces and tossed it into the trash can beside him.

"Ichigo?" A voice called out to him.

Ichigo turned and was surprised to see Kuchiki Rukia making her way up to him from down the sidewalk. He had been so distracted by what he was doing that he didn't even notice her coming.

"Yo." He replied with a raised hand.

Rukia greeted him back with a small smile. She stopped a few feet away from him and her gaze was instantly drawn to his healed ankle. The cast she had become used to seeing had disappeared.

"Looks like you're all healed up now." She said happily.

"Ah... yeah." Ichigo said blankly, looking down at his leg as though he had completely forgotten about it.

Rukia smiled with relief as she walked past him into the open bakery door.

"Thank goodness." She said quietly.

"What was that?" Ichigo asked with confusion as he followed her inside.

The smile on her face widened.

"Nothing." She replied.

Kurosaki Umi peeked out from behind the corner of the hallway as the two adults entered the bakery. Her messy orange bangs were starting to get a little long, but they were unable to hide the mischievous look in her eyes. She seemed intent on surprising the Rukia with a tackle just as she had done so many times in the past.

And when the perfect opportunity appeared, she quickly took advantage of it.

"Miss Rukia!" Umi yelled as she jumped towards her.

Umi flew through the air, but to her surprise, a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and completely stopped her before she could reach Rukia. Umi blinked for a few moments in confusion before realizing what had happened. She grinned sheepishly as she looked up at her father.

"Hey, Papa…" She said cautiously.

Holding her under one arm like light luggage, Ichigo scowled lightly at his daughter. "I knew letting your Grandpa babysit you all those times was a bad idea." He said. He started to casually carry her away as though she didn't weigh a single pound under his arm.

"Where are you taking me?" Umi asked.

"Your room. You have homework to do." He answered firmly.

"But today is Saturday - I can do it later!" She protested.

"You're going to do it now." Ichigo said with a tone of finality.

Umi's face lit up with fear. Realizing the predicament she had fallen into, she struggled to free herself, but her arms and legs flailed helplessly against Ichigo's strong grip. There was no escaping now that she had been caught.

"No!" Umi cried humorously. She reached out towards Rukia as they disappeared down the hallway. "Help me Miss Rukia!"

Rukia closed her eyes and shook her head with a small smile.

"Those two…" She muttered.

Left alone, she took her time to look around the bakery that she had helped out at for the past two months. She had gotten used to everything about it; the scents of freshly made pastries wafting from the small kitchen in the back, the wooden tables and floors that were always neatly cleaned and swept, and the two familiar stools that stood behind the counter where she and Ichigo had always sat together.

Her eyes fell on a lone notebook that had been left on one of the front tables. She walked over to it, picked it up in her hands and looked it over. Small drawings of different types of animals were all over the front of it. They nearly covered up the name 'Umi' that had been written in three different colors.

Ichigo soon walked back into the room. He noticed that Rukia was sitting at the table. She was flipping through the notebook that she had found.

"I keep telling her not to leave her things on the table." Ichigo said with a slight sigh as he walked over to her.

"These are such cute drawings." Rukia said as he sat down. "She has pictures like these all over her room."

"She wants to be an artist when she grows up, so she doodles all the time." Ichigo explained.

"That was my dream when I was younger." Rukia said with a bright smile.

Ichigo's expression deadpanned. An image of the bunny shaped horror she had made a long time ago flickered in his memories.

"Well... I guess that's why your art is rather unique." He said.

Realizing what he was referencing, Rukia's eyes lit up with sudden anger. Though she looked as though she wanted nothing more than to throw the closest projectile at him, she quickly managed to calm herself. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking composed but nonetheless irritated.

"What about you? Didn't you have any dreams, Ichigo?" She asked in mild annoyance.

She had meant to say it casually, but her question seemed to have struck a chord within Ichigo. He looked out the window impassively and his eyes glazed over with what looked like a mix of bittersweet emotions. Her eyes lit up with surprise at the sudden change.

"Everyone has dreams, but sometimes things happen that can't be avoided." Ichigo replied quietly. He grinned lightly. "Sometimes, you have to give up the things that are most important to you for the sake of other people."

Rukia fell quiet and followed his gaze. There were no clouds in the blue heavens.

"Ah." She said with a sad smile.

Ichigo glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Rather it was imagination or not, there was the tiniest hint of sadness was reflected in her features. He turned away once more, wondering if there was any significance behind such an expression.

...

Rukia walked over to Umi's room. The door was open and she peered in. Umi had her chin on her slanted desk, looking quite despondent with her body slumped forward upon it. The rattling of a rolling pencil echoed off the top of her desk. She was blowing her pencil back up to the top of the desk before letting it roll down towards her again. She repeated this several times.

Rukia finally knocked on the door and Umi instantly straightened up in her seat.

"I'm doing my homework, Papa!" She said quickly. She turned and looked relieved that it wasn't her father. "Oh, it's you Miss Rukia."

"Slacking off, are we?" Rukia said with a knowing smirk.

"No." Umi lied. She turned away with a small frown. "Maybe… but homework is boring!"

Rukia pulled over a nearby chair and sat down next to her. "I'll stay and keep you company while you finish up."

"What about Papa?" Umi asked curiously.

"Now that he's all better, he can take care of things himself. There isn't much for me to do." Rukia explained. She tapped the papers on her desk. "You, on the hand, have a lot to do."

Umi nodded and reluctantly started to work on her homework. Rukia watched her quietly. Her writing was very messy. She was still having trouble with proper stroke order and seemed reluctant to use any difficult kanji. Every time a slight mistake was made, Umi would feverishly erase it with an annoyed grumble.

"Seems like you still can't write very well." Rukia said, unable to hold back an amused look.

"I hate kanji…" Umi muttered under her breath. Her cheeks puffed up indignantly.

"It isn't that difficult. Let's use your name as an example." Rukia said lightly. She took a pencil and wrote down '海' on a blank piece of paper. "'Umi' for ocean. Your name would be written like this, right?"

To her surprise, Umi shook her head.

"Actually, 'Umi' is just my nickname." She replied with a knowing grin. "My real name's a secret."

Rukia blinked. "Is that so?"

"But I'll tell you what it is." Umi said.

She pulled Rukia down slightly so she could whisper it into her ear.

"That's a good name. You should be proud of it." Rukia said when she pulled away.

"But it's not really cute." Umi replied with a small frown. "Besides, I can't even write it very well."

Rukia patted her head gently. "Just keep at it. You'll get it."

"Mhm!" Umi replied happily.

Rukia turned back to the paper on the desk and almost unconsciously started to write out another name. The quick strokes of her pencil formed the characters '一' and '護.' Umi curiously looked over to see what she wrote.

"That's Papa's name." She said observantly.

"Ah. 'Ichi' for 'one'… 'Go' for 'guardian.'" Rukia said, thinking over its significance. "Meaning the 'One Guardian,' the 'One Protector,' or 'the One Who Protects.'"

"It suits Papa, right?" Umi asked cheerfully.

Rukia smiled.

"It does, doesn't it?" She agreed.

...

Business had slowed past the morning rush and bakery had fallen empty except for the three of them. Umi and Rukia were quietly eating lunch at one of the tables. Standing there behind the counter, Ichigo seemed completely lost in thought. His arms were propped on the counter as he stared vacantly off into the distance.

"Ichigo." A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What's wrong?" He asked, turning to an annoyed looking Rukia.

"That's my question. I've been calling out your name for a while now." She said with concern. Her eyes narrowed. "You've been blanking out all day."

"Don't worry. It's nothing." Ichigo replied, brushing her off.

"Do you want anything to eat?" She asked.

"No, I'm not hungry." He replied.

Ichigo turned and walked away without another word. Rukia watched his retreating figure impassively for a few moments. He was acting strange, and she couldn't figure out the reason why. She reluctantly walked back to the table where Umi was sitting.

"What's wrong, Miss Rukia?" Umi asked, noticing the concern on her face.

"Your father's been a bit distracted today, that's all." Rukia replied as she sat down.

"I think it's because he's feeling lonely." Umi said thoughtfully.

"Lonely?" Rukia asked.

"Papa has a lot of friends, but all of them live away from Karakura." Umi explained. "He doesn't say it, but I know he gets a little lonely sometimes because of it."

She turned to her with a grin.

"But that's changed. I've noticed recently that he's started to smile a lot more often and he's become a lot happier - all because you started to come here, Miss Rukia. Right now, Papa is probably thinking that since he's all better now, you no longer have any reason to come here."

"That's why he probably feels lonely." Umi finished.

Rukia looked at Umi with surprise, and she couldn't help but smile. The words Umi spoke and the meaning behind them warmed her heart.

"How does someone as young as you realize something like that?" Rukia asked jokingly, impressed by the little one in front of her.

Umi only smiled at her.

"Because he's my Papa." She answered simply.

...

Ichigo and Rukia stepped outside the bakery later that day. The last of the afternoon light was slowly dying away and their shadows stretched far along the sidewalk. Even though it was autumn, the orange sky seemed especially warm that moment, but as beautiful as the scene was, it was disappearing quickly with the oncoming night.

"I'll be heading off then." Rukia said, getting ready to leave.

"Ah." Ichigo replied.

His eyes shifted away from hers and he frowned. Rukia looked at him curiously at the gesture. It seemed that he had more to say, or perhaps something was bothering him. Whatever it was, it seemed to trouble him enough that he couldn't look straight at her.

"I think... you should come back and visit when you can." Ichigo said as casually as he could. He turned away with a scowl and he scratched the back of his head. "Umi would probably like to see you."

Rukia's face lit up with mild surprise. She had assumed it was going to be bad news, but it was quite the contrary. A small grin tugged at the corner of lips.

"I see." She replied brightly.

Ichigo's scowl deepened when he noticed the look on her face. "What's with that smug expression?"

"It's nothing." Rukia said off-handedly before turning away from him. "I'll be glad to come back and visit again."

She started to walk away, but her footsteps stopped a moment later. She glanced back to him and gave him a soft smile. His eyes lit up at the sight of it.

"See you around, Ichigo." Rukia said.

Ichigo grinned lightly back. "See you, Rukia."

...

Rukia was working on her laptop later that night. Her eyes glanced across the screen as she read the next part of Inoue's letter.

'When I realized that you had left, I was so hurt - so afraid. What was I going to do by myself? What was going to happen to our child? Those were the kind of questions I kept asking myself. The only time I had felt so alone was when my brother died so many years ago. Just like back then, there were so many things about my future that was uncertain - but this time, this child's future was at also at stake.

When I found out I was pregnant, so many people told me to abort the pregnancy. As much as I hate to admit it, I had thought about doing that countless times. All the hatred, all the uncertainty, and all the pain… I nearly couldn't handle it.

But I soon realized that it was worth it if it meant bringing this child into the world. I was given a chance to bring a new life into this world. That single thought gave me the hope I'd been missing from my life ever since you left. This child is a blessing on my life. I don't know why it took so long for me to realize that.

Perhaps it was all bad things that were happening around me. It was like a veil of darkness that covered my soul. It was suffocating. But thanks to this child and my friends, I found the ray of light that allowed me to breathe again.'

She closed the top of her laptop and sat there silently in thought.

The two months with Ichigo flashed by in her mind. She knew the kind of person he was. He acted unfriendly, but was actually very kind. He was mature beyond his years, but still had boyish qualities to his personality. He was a man with painful burdens, but he tried his best to shoulder them by himself. Those were the kind of things made him the kind of person he was.

"Even if he was that kind of man back then…" She muttered to herself. "That's not the kind of man he is now."

_Ichigo could help but grin lightly. "See you, Rukia."_

Rukia frowned as that memory faded away. 'He doesn't deserve to be hurt... he hasn't done anything wrong...'

Her eyes shifted to the side as her cell phone started to ring. She picked up her phone and looked impassively at the number that was calling her. The number of the caller flashed on its screen and she stared at it for a few moments. Her finger covered the name, leaving only the word '-sensei' visible.

'So why are you doing this...?'

.

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 6_

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	7. The Kind of Person He is

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishing.

**Author's Notes:** Chapter seven. Super late update. I ditched a lot of content for this chapter and the editing is a bit sloppy, but I think it's okay.

As for the chapter, this is the start of a new arc. It will focus more on Rukia's side of the story. Her reasons, intentions and other things will be revealed over the next couple of chapters. As I promised, some questions will be answered - though there are also plenty more on the way.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 7_

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A small ray of light flowed in from a nearby open window, illuminating Kuchiki Rukia's figure as she stood in the large office room from before. Large shelves full of books and a few unidentifiable portraits could also be seen in the soft glow. However, the light did not reveal everything; the identity of the person who sat behind the large desk still could not be discerned in the dark shadows of the room.

"It's been two months." The man said as he brought his hands together. "Your time is slowly running out. What do you have to show for it?"

Rukia brusquely threw the folder she was carrying onto the desk. It slid over to him and he leisurely picked it up in his hands.

"What's this?" He asked as he flipped it open.

"This is a report of his business operations." Rukia replied. "Even though I was only able to get a couple of month's worth of information, I was able to compile enough data to predict the future trend of his business."

The man took a quick glance through it, but seemed little impressed by it. He closed the folder and placed it back on his desk, pushing it to the side like it wasn't even important. "As expected of the Kuchiki financial advisor." He said wryly. "But why does this information concern me?"

"Because he'll be out of business in a few months." Rukia answered. "He isn't making enough profit to continue for much longer than that, assuming that he has savings as well. He's been applying for loans, but no banks have approved him, not with how he's doing currently."

Her eyes fell slightly, but her gesture seemed unnoticed by him. "It's only a matter of time before his livelihood is gone."

"Excellent. It's good hear that he's not doing well financially, but that would only be relevant if I was going after his property." He replied. "This information you brought me is useless. If you think that this is enough to fulfill our agreement, then you are sadly mistaken."

Her expression hardened. "But there's no reason to continue at this point, he's going to lose everything -"

"Your job isn't done yet, not by a long shot." He interrupted. "You know what you were supposed to do."

"I just thought -"

"That this would be enough to satisfy me?" He said in a slightly disdainful tone. "If this is all you have to show me, then it looks like you've been neglecting your end of the deal."

"I haven't forgotten our deal." She replied firmly.

The man fell quiet and his attention slowly shifted back to the folder on his desk. "Then show me that you are still capable of continuing." He said as he slowly picked it back up into his hands. "Since you are so good at handling finances, then it should be simple for you to find a way to bankrupt him. Help him lose his business faster. It's not quite enough, but at the very least, it's a start."

"Impossible. I can't do anything that he won't eventually find out about. Besides, he probably has savings -"

"Then find a way to get rid of it." He answered flatly.

"That's enough!" Rukia yelled angrily. Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you so determined to ruin this man's life?"

"That's none of your business." He replied simply.

Rukia averted her gaze, clearly frustrated by his answer. The man quietly observed her for a few moments in thought. The man's stoic silhouette radiated with an unnerving calmness. He seemed neither frustrated nor surprised by her hesitation; rather he looked as though he had expected something like this to happen.

"It seems that you've lost sight of the reason why you are doing this in the first place. You can no longer do this by yourself." He said impassively. "Perhaps it's time to invite another person to help you."

Rukia turned back to him with widened eyes, unable to hold back the fear and surprise she felt.

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><p><em><strong>The Kind of Person He is<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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"Rukia."

No answer.

"Rukia!"

Still no answer. Irritated by her lack of a response, Kurosaki Ichigo scowled and roughly poked her in the forehead with two fingers.

"Ow!" She cried out. Her hand rubbed her forehead and she glared at the orange-haired man before her with a look of irritation. "What the hell was that for?"

He glared back. "You were blanking out."

Slightly embarrassed by his comment, she shifted her eyes away from his.

"I was… thinking about my job." She muttered.

"Oh… the hard life of an OL." He replied off-handedly.

Rukia frowned as she turned back to him. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing." Ichigo replied with a smirk, causing Rukia to glare at him. Unfazed by her anger, he casually walked over to the door. "I'm heading out again, so watch the bakery for me, alright?"

"Fine." She replied, still a little miffed.

He walked out and Rukia's gaze trailed after him as he passed by the front windows. Now that she was all by herself, the bakery fell into a lonely silence. She sighed lightly as she rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. The feeling of solitude only worsened the uneasiness that she had been feeling ever since that day.

_"Perhaps it's time to invite another person to help you." _

She shook off the memories and turned away to find something to distract herself with. Her eyes caught sight of a bunch of papers sticking out from the desk at the side of the counter.

"These are…" She muttered to herself.

She slowly pulled them out and looked over them. They were applications that Ichigo had filled out for previous loan interviews, and had been the reason why he had been leaving so often. Her head turned towards the calendar on the wall nearby where the dates of his interviews had also been circled. She counted the number of marks and came to a grim realization.

'There's only one place left in the area.' She thought to herself. 'Then this is probably his last chance.'

...

Ichigo sat quietly in a comfy arm chair of a small office. The place was rather impersonal; from what could be seen, no personal items decorated the empty space of the room. The walls had no paintings or portraits hanging from them, and the desk in front of him was very clean and organized. There was nothing superfluous or special about the room at all.

But that seemed to perfectly suit the man that sat at the desk before him.

The nametag on the desk read 'Yamada S.' He was typing on a nearby computer as he quickly scanned over the information he was inputting onto the screen. Though he looked young, his long face and narrow black eyes created an unfortunate cold expression on his face, and he looked like a person that was hard to approach. His medium length black hair was swept back slightly, creating a casual contrast to the clean suit he wore. Despite this, he looked like any other salary man and his common surname only furthered his rather ordinary existence.

"Okay. Everything looks to be in order." Yamada said before turning back to Ichigo. "However, there is one last issue before you can be approved."

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"Although our policies do accept people with your current credit and income, I'm afraid I cannot authorize this myself, Kurosaki-san." Yamada said passively. "You'll have to make another appointment with my superior to get final approval."

"That's fine." Ichigo said. "When is it?"

Yamada glanced at his screen to double check the time. "There is opening next Tuesday at three in the afternoon."

"Next Tuesday?" Ichigo said, looking as though he was forgetting something.

"Yes." Yamada confirmed. He seemed to notice Ichigo's hesitation. "Please keep in mind that it's extremely important for you to be here. If you miss it, you won't have a second chance. There are plenty of other people who could use the money."

Ichigo shook off the uneasiness he felt and nodded.

"I understand."

...

Ichigo returned to the bakery later that day. Rukia, who had been sitting at one of tables near the front, looked up when he entered.

"Welcome back." She greeted him.

"I'm home." He replied curtly as he walked over to the calendar.

Surprised by his apparent edginess, Rukia watched him as he scanned the dates on the calendar. His eyes lingered over the day where his appointment was supposed to take place. Though he had a pen in hand, he looked hesitant in marking it when he felt that same feeling of forgetfulness bothering him. He quickly pushed those thoughts away and circled it.

Rukia eyes lit up at the date. 'That day is -'

"Papa! Miss Rukia!"

Kurosaki Umi ran into the room excitedly in a fluttering white dress. It was a simple princess costume, but it exuded an innocence that fell right in place with her childish nature. She seemed extremely pleased with it; with a smile bright enough on her face to light the darkest night, she spun around in the center of the room to present it proudly to the two adults.

"Ja - jan!" She said with a pose.

Umi looked expectantly at her father, who only stared back with a deadpanned expression on his face.

"What?" He asked dumbly.

She puffed her cheeks indignantly at her father's cheeky response. "You're so mean Papa!"

Rukia smiled at the two's interaction, and walked over to take a closer look at her costume. "What a cute costume." She said.

"It is, isn't it?" Umi replied, showing it off to her.

"This was for the play you told us about, right?" Rukia added.

"Yeah! I finally got the tickets!" Umi said happily as she held them out to show them to Rukia. "One for Miss Rukia..." She said as she gave to Rukia. She then quickly ran over to the counter to hand the last one to her father."... and one for Papa!"

Ichigo slowly took the ticket in his hand. He stared at it for a few moments with a puzzled expression. "When was this, again?" He asked.

Umi frowned. "Did you forget? It's next Tuesday! You promised to be there, remember?"

Ichigo fell silent and the smallest flash of guilt flickered across his features. Though it had been quickly covered up with a small smile, Rukia had still managed to notice it, and she silently stared at Ichigo with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Ah." He replied.

Umi smiled brightly at him, pleased by his answer.

"Miss Rukia, come see my other costume!" She said as she ran off.

"Okay, okay." Rukia replied with a small grin.

Before she left the room, she paused to look back towards Ichigo. With his back turned to her, she couldn't see his face, but she knew he was looking at the ticket in his hands. She watched as he took a piece of tape, and taped the ticket over the date which he had marked earlier without even a hint of the hesitation that he had shown from before.

...

A few days passed by.

Rukia walked along a busy city sidewalk and she looked up at the skyscrapers that surrounded her. The city was so much different than the area where Ichigo had lived. When she was there, everyone seemed to know one another, having lived and relied on one another for most of their lives. There, she felt like she was never alone, even with the small amount of people there. Yet here in the city, where there were countless of people around her, she felt isolated, alone - and the bustling city life felt almost suffocating in comparison.

Her eyes caught sight of a familiar person passing her and her footsteps came to a sudden halt. She quickly turned to identify who it was, but there was no one in the mass of people that she seemed to recognize. With a frown, she turned back forward and walked passed an alleyway where a man was standing in the shadows, leaned against the building.

She stopped walking.

"Just how long do you plan on following me?" She asked loudly. The man looked up at her. "Abarai Renji."

The man walked out from the shadows. He was a man in his prime; his body was lean and exceptional, discernable even through the formal suit he wore. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, though they could not cover the numerous tattoos that also covered his face. But his most distinguishing feature was his fiery red hair. It was tied up in a messy pony tail with long strands of hair that fell over his shoulder.

"You knew I was following you?" He replied.

"How many times have I've seen you shadowing my brother around?" Rukia replied with a slightly exasperated look as she walked over to him.

"It comes with the job since I'm one of his bodyguards." Renji replied with a smirk. He took off his glasses to reveal his dark narrow eyes. "You seem to be doing well. It's been a while."

Rukia nodded, and returned his greetings with a small grin. "Yeah, it has."

She turned and fell quiet for a few moments. His sudden appearance was too much of a coincidence. There could have only been one reason that he was here, and it had been the thing she had been dreading ever since that faithful day.

She looked at him. "So, you're the person he sent to help me, aren't you?"

Renji's expression turned grim and it only served to confirm her assumptions.

"Ah."

Her face changed to match his, and a slight iciness was reflected in her violet eyes. "I don't need your help, Renji."

"Not from what I heard." He replied.

"And what did you hear, exactly?" She asked.

"Everything." He answered with a scowl. "Just what are you thinking, Rukia?"

"What do you mean by that?" She asked crossly.

"You know what's on the line here, yet you spent the last two months fooling around -"

"I wasn't fooling around!" She snapped heatedly.

"Then why is it that you have nothing to show for it?" He asked loudly.

Rukia turned away from him with a scowl. "I can't tell you."

Renji sighed in frustration. "You haven't changed at all, have you, Rukia? That's precisely why you should have never accepted to do this in the first place. You've always been prone to feeling guilty, so you always have a hard time doing anything that you feel is wrong - even when the life of someone important to you is on the line!"

She turned back to him, her expression impassive despite his comments.

He continued on. "You're too soft. That's why you haven't been able to do anything. Even the car accident was really just an accident, wasn't it?"

Rukia didn't respond for a few moments and just stared at him coldly. "Are you done lecturing me?" She asked callously. "If you are, I'd like to leave now. I'm going to be late for work."

"Let me help you, Rukia." He said again.

"Stay out of this, Renji." Rukia said with a tone of finality. "I've already told you that I don't need your help."

She turned to leave.

"Why are you so determined to do this alone?" Renji asked angrily. "You'll just end up suffering more if you continue by yourself!"

She paused in her footsteps and left him with one last statement.

"I'm not the only one suffering."

And with that she walked away, leaving Renji to wonder what she had meant by those words.

...

"Oh no! I've been captured! Oh, what will I do?"

"Do not worry my princess - I will… er… protect you!"

Rukia placed a hand to her mouth to hold back an amused chuckle. The play was just as she had expected from ten year olds; filled with missing lines, awkward acting, and undeniable cuteness. Though the set backgrounds were made out of cheap cardboard and their costumes were just a little bit too big on some of them, there was a childish appeal that captured the hearts of those watching.

Her eyes glanced over to Ichigo who was sitting next to her.

Ichigo had his eyes glued to the play the entire time they had been there. He watched his daughter with a slightly boyish grin on his face, a complete change from the normal scowl he always wore. Rukia couldn't help but feel elated at such rare sight, and she turned back to the play, trying her best to hold back the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.

...

It was later that night and the play had been long over.

A cold breeze brushed past Ichigo's orange bangs. He stood outside on the sidewalk with his gaze directed at the clear night sky. The full moon shone brightly above him in a sea of darkness that was littered with the dim twinkle of stars. It was a beautiful sight, and his attention was only drawn away at the sound of the bakery door opening behind him.

"Rukia?" Ichigo said as she stepped outside.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"I'm just thinking." He replied as he turned back.

Rukia walked quietly up to his side to join him. She slowly raised her eyes up to the night sky. Another breeze blew by the two of them, and her hair fluttered lightly in the wind like a dark curtain against her face.

"Today was the day you were suppose to go to an important meeting, wasn't it?" Rukia said suddenly, causing Ichigo to turn to her with surprise. Her eyes caught his in an understanding gaze. "But you skipped out on it just so you could go see Umi in this play."

"You knew?" Ichigo asked.

"You left your applications all over the place." She added with a slight smirk. "So it wasn't hard to tell why you left so often these days."

Ichigo could only smirk back.

"I see." He replied quietly.

Rukia fell quiet for a few moments.

"Are you… really okay with how things turned out?" She asked tentatively.

"Without a doubt." He answered firmly. His eyes shifted away and they softened. "Back then, when I realized that I had forgotten, I felt so ashamed of myself. I had become so distracted by everything that happening around me that I had lost sight of what was really important."

Rukia smiled at his words.

"You're such a good father." She said.

"Are you making fun of me?" Ichigo asked with a scowl. Her smile widened, causing his scowl to deepen. "You are, aren't you?" He accused her.

She laughed lightly and he turned away with a frown set upon his features, but the amusement she felt quickly diminished.

"Hey, Ichigo." Rukia started quietly. Concern lit up on her face. "What are you going to do now?"

Ichigo stared at her, surprised by her sudden change in demeanor. "I'll figure something out. It's my responsibility after all." He assured her. "Everything will be fine."

The answer didn't seem to satisfy her, but Rukia nodded back. "I know." She replied. Ichigo scowled at her answer and she glared back questioningly. "What?"

He turned away with a huff. "Idiot. If that's so, then why are you making such a face? You're always making that kind of expression when something's bothering you."

"Ichigo…" She muttered.

"Don't worry about me." He said.

Rukia fell quiet. Even though Ichigo had his own troubles, he still managed to notice that she too had been suffering in her own way. He had always been a perceptive person despite his aloof attitude. With all the uncertain and dark things happening around them, she could only wonder what else he may have noticed.

"Anyways, let's go back inside. It's getting cold." Ichigo said, opening the door for her. His eyes widened when he realized that she looked as though she was going to leave. He scratched the back of his head with a scowl. "Unless you were planning on leaving, I mean."

Rukia couldn't hold back a smile.

"I'll stay a little bit longer."

The two of them walked back in, not realizing that there had been a person listening to them across the street. With slow echoing steps, Abarai Renji walked out from darkness with his cell phone next to his ear.

"… Ah. We're going to take action." He said to the other person on the other line. "No. Don't tell Rukia about this. She'll only get in the way."

He looked up into the night sky. The moon was slowly being hidden away by clouds.

"We're going to kidnap Kurosaki Ichigo's daughter."

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 7_

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	8. The One Who Protects

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** It's been a while. I've been trying to get back into regularly updating, but it's been hard.

The next chapter is being worked on, but I doubt it'll be finish by the end of the week. This chapter got particularly wordy at around 5k words, so there may be errors littered all over the place even though I did do a lot of proof reading and editing. Just like the other chapters, I'll fix them as I find them.

Enjoy.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 8_

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The autumn winds were blowing stronger with each passing day and the once green trees of the spring and summer were now little more than just memories. With even the slightest gust, leaves of all different colors and sizes fell from trees in small circling spirals, and for a few seconds at a time, the blue sky became the wind's portrait as colorful leaves brushed across it in an elegant mirage of colors.

Not one to ignore such a beautiful sight, Kurosaki Umi happily watched this display as she stood in the midst of the circling leaves. She playfully reached out towards them with her hands. The brightest look of amusement glimmered in her eyes and a toothy smile was caught between her lips. However, her delight was regrettably short lived; distracted by her surroundings, she didn't notice the hasty approaching footsteps behind her.

And by the time she finally did, it was already too late.

A pair of eyes snapped open and Kurosaki Ichigo quickly sat up in his chair. He looked around drowsily at the empty bakery that was illuminated with the low-light of the afternoon. Looking slightly confused and lethargic, his hand rubbed his orange hair tiredly, unable to shrug off the weary feeling of having just woken up.

However, his attention quickly perked up when his cell phone suddenly started to ring. He reached over to pick it up from the counter.

"Unknown number?" Ichigo said with confusion as he saw the caller's number. He flipped it open and brought it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Papa!" The voice on the other side yelled.

Ichigo's face lit up with surprise when he recognized the voice. "Umi…! What -"

Before he could say anything else, the phone had already switched to a new person.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." The unknown person said over the phone.

"Who -"

The man cut him off before he could finish. "If you ever want to see your daughter again, then listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you."

.

.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The One Who Protects<strong>_

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Kuchiki Rukia pushed open the door of the Kurosaki Bakery that late afternoon. Finding the inside of the bakery unexpectedly empty, she paused and blinked for a few moments in confusion. She turned back towards the door to double check the sign, making sure that it did show that the bakery was open and perhaps the door was just unlocked. However, after seeing that she had made no mistake, her confusion deepened. If the bakery was open then Ichigo had no reason to be missing from the front counter.

With a puzzled expression on her face, she called out his name. "Ichigo?" Frowning at the lack of a response, she continued to speak as she walked in. "I thought the three of us could go out for dinner tonight."

Instead of receiving a vocal reply, Rukia was answered by the sounds of hasty footsteps rushing down the stairs from the other side of the building. It was quickly revealed who they belonged to when Ichigo walked into the room. But he was acting strange. His eyes were hidden underneath his bangs as he made quick strides towards her. Rukia opened her mouth to greet him but instead of acknowledging her, he walked right past her as though she didn't even exist.

Shocked by this, she quickly turned to him as he passed.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out to him, but he ignored her again and continued on. Feeling even more confused and disturbed at his behavior, she ran over to him and grabbed his arm. "Oi, Ichigo!"

His head instantly snapped towards her with a look of surprise.

"Rukia…!" Ichigo muttered.

Rukia's eyes widened. It was troubling that he didn't even notice that she was there, but it was not his inattentiveness that had concerned her most – it was the look of complete distress on his face. It was an expression that she had never seen from him before.

"What's going on? Did something happen?" She asked urgently.

With a look of guilt and despair, he started to turn away. Rukia instinctively knew that he was trying to hide himself away from her. She refused to let him and firmly pulled on his arm, urging him to look at her. He reluctantly turned back to her, and paused when his gaze finally met her own; staring back at him were the eyes of a person who was desperately trying to understand him.

"Ichigo… please…"

…

A constant clatter echoed from deep within the confines of a dark room. The state of the room was startling. Its walls were nothing more than old bricks and its cement floors were cracking with age. Old ceiling lamps flickered randomly on and off, sometimes even leaving some parts of the room in complete darkness.

It was in this very room where Umi was being held. She had been struggling to free her arms that had been tied behind her to a steel pole. Her mouth had been stuffed with a small white cloth to stifle her voice, so despite her best efforts to cry out for help, all the noise she made would never be heard outside the room. The heavy realization of this fact soon struck her and it swiftly drained any hope she had left of being rescued.

She then started to weep with muffled cries of helplessness.

Just outside the room and up a flight of old stairs, two large men were chatting quietly with each other. The both of them wore rather formal suits with dark glasses, a generic appearance that made neither one of them stand out from one another. In fact, if it wasn't for their different haircuts, it would have been difficult to tell the two apart.

"It doesn't look like our radios work very well in this goddamn place." One of them said, tapping the device.

"Neither do our cells. It must be this building." The other added as he looked up. "Let me step outside, I'll go call the boss."

"No need for that." A voice replied.

They both looked up as another man approached them from the open doorway. Unlike the two guards, he seemed to have no qualms about standing out with his numerous tattoos and long bright red hair. The two guards quickly stood up at his arrival, curtly saluting him with respect.

"Everything is all set, Abarai-san." One of them said.

"Good." Abarai Renji replied before turning his gaze back towards the room where Umi was being held. "I'll be upstairs. I'll be able to get in contact with the division there. Let me know if anything happens."

…

There was an indescribable tension in the air back at the Kurosaki Bakery. A bleak silence had fallen between the two adults. The anxiety they felt was obvious on their faces. Ichigo's expression was grim as he sat at the couch with his hands folded together under his chin, while Rukia slowly paced back and forth in front of him with a look that was no less dismal.

"I can't believe this." Rukia muttered as she finally stopped pacing. "Where did you say they were keeping her?"

"They have her at the construction area in Mashiba." Ichigo replied detachedly. "They told me that all I needed to do was to get them the money they wanted and they would let her go."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. "But where are you going to get that kind of money?"

Ichigo stayed silent for a few moments before finally answering.

"By selling the bakery." He replied without a hint of hesitation.

Rukia quickly turned to him, visibly shocked by his statement.

"Ichigo…" She muttered.

Ichigo slowly rose to his feet and walked past her. "I'll borrow the money I need and then sell this place to cover it. At the rate I'm going, it was bound to happen sooner or later." He paused and waited for Rukia's response. However, she remained quiet, much to his surprise. "You're not going to stop me?"

"How could I?" Rukia replied in a slightly exasperated tone. "Even if I had offered you the money, you would have just rejected it." A sigh escaped her lips, but her next words held unmistakable fondness within them. "Because that's just the kind of stubborn person you are."

With his back turned to her, Rukia couldn't see Ichigo's face, but the smallest hint of a smile had tugged at his lips. Even in such times, he was able to bring out a thankful smile.

"Thank you for understanding." He replied.

He started to head towards the door.

"Ichigo." Rukia called out to him before he could step out. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. She looked at him and tried her best to look strong despite the feelings of anxiety that were stirring within her. "Don't be reckless."

Ichigo stared at her for a few precious seconds as though he wanted to tell her that things were going to be fine, but he turned back before he said anything to her. "Don't worry. I'll definitely get her back."

He left the bakery without another moment to spare. Rukia walked out and stood on the sidewalk to watch him.

"No…" She said as she watched his diminishing backside. Her eyes narrowed. "I'll definitely get her back."

…

Rukia slammed shut the door of her car and turned her gaze towards the construction area at the other side of the street.

It was the location of a n enormous, rusting steel frame of an incomplete building. The structure sat at the center of the large area. Surrounded by high wire fences decorated with multitudes of warning signs, it looked like a place that would have been hard to enter. However, the small entrance was just blocked off by a mere chain and it seemed that it could do very little to keep out people who wanted to trespass.

Finally pulling her eyes off the forbidding structure, she walked over, ducked underneath the chain, and entered without a second thought.

The building was dark and poorly lit by old, flickering lights. She had to be careful as she walked past several sites of abandoned tools and unused building materials. These items were covered by a thin layer of dust and grime, a sign that it had been a long time since the area was used for its intended purpose. However, the graffiti on the walls and fresh litter of cigarettes on the floor hinted that the area was still being used, though for different and perhaps more reprehensible purposes.

She soon came across the entrance to the basement area and noticed the two bodyguards standing at the sides of the doorway. With their suits on, it was obvious that they weren't even trying to be inconspicuous, but perhaps they didn't need to be. Their appearances were intimidating enough that no one would have dared to say anything to them in the first place.

But Rukia wasn't afraid of them. She walked towards them without any hesitation and surprisingly, they both straightened up when they noticed her.

"Kuchiki-sama!" The both of them said quickly with a bow.

"I've come for Kurosaki Umi." Rukia said as she stopped before them. "I know you have her."

The two of them glanced at each other before nodding, as if coming to a silent agreement.

"Renji-san told us no one is allowed through and that includes you." One of them replied.

Rukia remained undeterred.

"I'd like to see you stop me then." She replied.

She stepped forward and walked right between the two of them. Neither one of them attempted to stop her.

"It's just like what Abarai-san said." One of them said when Rukia was out of earshot. "We need to go tell him that she's here."

She glanced back as the sound of their footsteps echoed off into the distance.

Rukia knew they were running off to get Renji. He was the only one who would do anything to her. She also knew that there wasn't going to be much time before they would return so she hastened her pace towards the dark room down the stairs. The smell of rusting pipes and dust instantly struck her as she entered, but she ignored it and quickly scanned the room to find Umi.

"Umi!" Rukia shouted when she saw her.

Umi looked up at the sound of her name. She tried to say something but the cloth in her mouth prevented her from saying anything audible. Rukia quickly knelt down in front of her to pull out the cloth in her mouth.

"Miss Rukia!" Umi cried out.

"Don't move. I'm going to untie you." Rukia said as she started to undo the knots.

It took her a few seconds but she managed to undo the ropes. Umi wasted no time when she was freed and instantly ran into Rukia's arms. She sobbed quietly into her as she clung to her. Rukia was surprised by her suddenness, but she held her tenderly and tried her best to calm her.

"Shhh… Everything's going to be alright." Rukia said as she patted her back gently. She pushed Umi back so she could look over her properly for any injuries. "Did they hurt you?"

"No…" Umi replied as she wiped her tears. She couldn't stop shaking. "But I'm… really scared…"

"Look at me, Umi." Rukia said firmly. Umi looked at her and she seemed to relax a bit from Rukia's reassuring gaze. "I'm here. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Umi nodded, wiping the last of her tears away.

"That's a good girl." Rukia said proudly. She quickly looked towards the entrance for any signs that the guards were coming back. "It won't be long until they come back so we need to get going." She added as she got back onto her feet. "Follow me."

"Okay…" Umi replied.

She grabbed Umi's hand and started to move back in the direction she came in order to lead her out of the complex. Her footsteps were quick, but she kept at a pace that Umi could keep up with.

"We're at the construction complex next to Karakura Park." Rukia said as she quickly pulled Umi along. "Do you know how to get home from here?"

Umi nodded.

"Good." Rukia said. They arrived at the entrance to the construction area and stopped. Rukia knelt down, pulled out her cell phone and placed it in Umi's hands. "You need to run away from here as fast as you can. When you get close to home, call your father."

"But what about you -"

"I'm going to stay here and make sure they don't go after you."

"But -"

"I'll be fine…" Rukia said reassuringly. She gave her a little push forward. "Now go!"

Stumbling slightly before regaining her composure, Umi turned and gave one last fearful look at her. Rukia nodded at her, assuring her that things were going to be alright. Umi nodded back even though she was still obviously worried. She then ducked under the chain and started to run away as fast as her little legs could carry her.

With Umi safe, Rukia rose to her feet and waited.

A moment later, Renji and his two subordinates finally made it outside. But by then it was already too late. Umi was already gone. Rukia stood in front of the entrance with her arms crossed over her chest, blocking the only way out. She glared at the three of them with an unreadable expression on her face, though there was a sense of coldness radiating from her features.

Renji glanced at the two beside him. "What are you two waiting for? Go after Kurosaki's daughter!"

They started to move forward, but froze immediately mid-step when Rukia took a step forward. Even though it was happening right in front of him, Renji couldn't believe his eyes. His two professional bodyguards were being intimidated by a woman nearly half their size. Rukia only smiled, having realized her authority over them from the very start.

Renji gave out a sigh of frustration.

"Damn it, Rukia."

…

Ichigo's feet pounded heavily against the sidewalk. The cold night air brushed past his orange hair as he ran with a large brown envelope in his hand. He was still making his way over to the construction site, unaware of what had happened there. With no sign of slowing pace, he finally came to a stop when he heard his cell phone ring in his pocket.

"Rukia's number?" Ichigo said in confusion. He flipped open his phone. "Rukia?"

"Papa!"

"Umi!" Ichigo said, recognizing the voice. "How are you -"

"Miss Rukia… she…"

His eyes widened. He pulled his cell phone away from his ear and his head slowly turned towards the direction of the construction site.

"Rukia…!" He muttered.

…

Rukia, Renji and his two bodyguards were back in the small room where Umi had been held only moments before. Rukia leaned her back against the steel pole and watched as Renji talked to his two subordinates at the other side of the room. However, because of the distance between them, she could not hear what he was saying.

After they were done talking, Renji walked over to her while the other two exited the room.

"I can't believe they were afraid of you." He said with a slight huff.

"It wasn't me that they were afraid of, Renji." Rukia replied matter-of-factly.

Renji sneered, though he said nothing to contradict her.

"How did you know it was me who did it anyways?" He asked.

"A few calls were all that was needed. Besides, I had a feeling it was you." Rukia said casually. A brief moment of silence fell between the two, but it didn't last very long. She looked up at him with a slight bitterness in her eyes as she spoke. "What were you thinking, Renji? A kidnapping? Do you understand just how serious the consequences can be?"

"There's a reason why your brother's company has invested so much into law enforcement. Whether you want to believe me or not, this is just another routine mission for my division." Renji replied informatively as he crossed his arms. He scoffed at the look she gave him. "You wouldn't understand since you just sit up in your pretty little office all day."

"You're the one who doesn't understand what you've gotten yourself into, Renji." She said.

"What don't I understand? That you haven't done a single thing in these past two months and now that I've come to help you, you completely screw it up?" Renji said loudly, unable to hide the frustration he felt. "It's funny how you tell me to stay out of the way when you're the one that's getting in the way, Rukia!"

Rukia remained calm despite the anger he was showing.

"This is my job, Renji. I told you to stay out of this." She reminded him. "Now, take your men and go home. This is over."

Renji walked out in front of her.

"No. Not yet." He said quietly without looking at her. "Even though his daughter got away, I still have you here."

A look of confusion fell over her face.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked.

He turned to her. "He's going to come save you instead."

His comment surprised her, but she held firm. "Don't be stupid." She replied heatedly. "It's different with me here. He won't come for me."

"Is that really what you think or is that just what you want to believe?" Renji asked.

His words seemed to strike a realization in Rukia and though she opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out.

"I…" She finally managed to say.

"You always sell yourself short, Rukia, so it's no surprise that you think you aren't important to him." Renji said with a smirk. "But I've seen the way he treats you. There's no way he would do anything that would endanger you."

Rukia was stunned by the implication of his statement.

"You…" She muttered. "Did you plan this from the very start?"

He stared at her, though he did not give her a clear answer. But before he could confirm or deny it, they both looked up as one of the guards ran back into the room.

"Abarai-san!" He yelled. "Kurosaki Ichigo was spotted heading this way."

"Ichigo…!" Rukia said. Renji suddenly grabbed her by the wrist, causing her to turn to him angrily. "Hey! What are you -"

Renji's eyes narrowed at her.

"I told you he would come save you."

…

Ichigo came to a stop just outside the fenced construction area and he raised his eyes towards the large unfinished structure. He looked as though had been running non-stop. His breath was heavy and small beads of sweat dripped down the side of his face. But despite his fatigue, his eyes were burning brightly as he stared at his destination.

And there was not an ounce of fear reflected within them.

…

Rukia grimaced. She had become tied to the very pole that she had released Umi from just a while earlier. Even though she already knew that it was a futile effort, she continually pulled at her shackles in a valiant effort to free herself.

"Let me go, Renji!" Rukia yelled.

Though he was standing next to her, Renji didn't even bother to spare her a glance.

"I will, after this is over." He replied.

Rukia tried once more to break free of her bindings but this attempt was no better than the last. Her hands had been tied tightly. She scolded herself mentally; she had come to save someone but she ended up being the one who needed to be saved.

"Rukia!"

She looked up at the sound of Ichigo's voice. He had entered the room, coming to a stop just a few yards away from the two of them. His eyes shifted warily from the guards who had followed him in to Renji who was standing beside right beside her.

"Ichigo!" She called out to him.

Ichigo glanced at her before throwing the brown envelope to Renji. Renji promptly caught it and peered inside to make sure the contents were correct.

"There's the money." Ichigo said. "Now let her go."

Renji placed the envelope into his jacket.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Renji said.

Ichigo looked around as he heard approaching footsteps. The two guards were walking towards him but he showed no signs that he was afraid. He just stood there waiting for them to get closer.

"You idiot!" She yelled out to him. "Forget about me and run away! Don't stay here, you'll just get -"

Ichigo threw his body against the nearest guard, leaving Rukia speechless as he became the one who initiated. Renji, who seemed just as surprised as she was, quickly ran forward to join the brawl.

The fight quickly unfolded. Rukia couldn't hold back the surprise she felt as she watched. Driven by both desperation and determination, Ichigo showed skillfulness that she never knew he had. For every punch thrown at him, Ichigo threw two back. He instinctively dodged hits and took hits without as much as a cringe. Though he had taken quite a few punches himself, he didn't show any signs of slowing down.

He kept on fighting, not for himself, but to protect her.

"Ichigo…" She muttered.

Ichigo threw a powerful punch into Renji's face, knocking him backwards onto the ground. The other two were also knocked away by follow up strikes, leaving Ichigo to be the only one still standing afterwards. He breathed heavily as he glared at them. His body showed more damage than any of the others from the fighting, but it was obvious that he had not only matched his three opponents evenly, but had been winning.

This realization enraged Renji and he quickly rose to his feet. He made his way over to Rukia with a grim expression on his face.

"Sorry about this…" He said apologetically.

"What…" Rukia asked.

To her surprise, he grabbed her neck and started to squeeze. Though he wasn't seriously trying to suffocate her, the strength of his grip caused her to grunt uncomfortably. Rukia glared at him; it was obvious what he was planning to do. He was going to use her to get to Ichigo.

"Renji…!" Rukia muttered angrily.

Ichigo noticed this and turned towards them with fear in his eyes.

"Rukia!" He yelled.

He motioned to move towards her to help, but Renji strengthened his grip, causing her to cry out with pain. Ichigo froze when he saw this.

"Let her go!" Ichigo said angrily.

"How about we make a deal then?" Renji said.

"What do you want?" Ichigo asked.

"It's simple. I'll let her go if you take a beating for five minutes." Renji explained. "What do you say, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Ichigo…! Don't -" Rukia tried to say but Renji stopped her.

Ichigo and Rukia looked at one another. She silently pleaded for him to not do it, but the gaze he returned told her that he already made his decision.

He dropped his arms to his sides and allowed himself to get grabbed by one of the guards. The guard quickly positioned Ichigo's arms behind him, leaving the other guard to freely punch him. Rukia could barely watch as they started to pummel him. They showed him no mercy and the sounds of his painful grunts echoed loudly in the hollow room.

"Stop it…!" Rukia yelled. They ignored her and continued to beat him. She pulled desperately against her bindings, causing the pole to rattle. "Please stop hurting him…!"

Renji's attentions turned to the commotion she was making. He watched in surprise as she tried again and again to free herself, not for her own sake, but for the sake of one sacrificing himself for her. His hands clenched unconsciously at the sight.

"STOP IT!" She screamed. "PLEASE STOP IT!"

Ichigo fell over onto the ground. The guards had released him. Though Rukia didn't see it, Renji had raised his hand to gesture them to stop, but the reason why he had done it wasn't clear. Without a word to her, he moved past the guards and signaled for them to follow.

"We got what we wanted. Let's get out of here." He said.

Renji looked back once more to Rukia. She hadn't even spared them a glance as they walked out of the room. All of her attention was focused on the man that was lying on the ground before her. A look of frustration crossed his features and he turned back to leave.

"Ichigo!" She cried out. "Answer me!"

As though her voice gave him strength, he started to move.

"You idiot, don't move around!" Rukia yelled. "Your injuries are -"

"Shut up…" Ichigo interrupted as he continued to push himself back onto his feet. His legs shook slightly as he finally managed to stand back up. He slowly raised his head to look at her; even though his body was battered and weak, his eyes remained strong and determined. "I can't just lay down when you're tied up like that…"

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered with surprise.

Knowing that nothing she could say would stop him, she fell silent. She watched as he weakly approached her. Each step he took seemed to bring him pain and one false step caused him to fall forward. The two of them grunted lightly as his body fell against hers.

"Sorry…" He said.

"Are you okay?" She asked, unconcerned by their closeness.

"Ah…" He replied weakly.

Ichigo started to untie her arms with his body leaning up against hers. He worked slowly, and she could tell that the movements were causing him pain. Rukia hid her face away into his shoulder to hide the guilt and frustration she felt. If it wasn't for her, then he would have been in this state in the first place.

A moment later, she was free and Ichigo pushed away so she could walk out from underneath him. He quickly turned and placed his back against the pole, breathing heavily as the pain shot though his body once more. He tried to take a step forward but started to fall. Rukia quickly moved forward to support him.

"We need to get you to a hospital." She said.

"No, we just need to get to my dad's. He'll take care of my injuries." He said, looking up at her. His eyes were drooping slightly beneath his bangs. "Umi… is also waiting there for me."

"Let me help you to my car." Rukia said, lifting his arm over her shoulder.

They only managed a few steps before he stumbled again, causing the two of them to fall onto the ground. Rukia winced as she fell on her side, but she seemed unconcerned with herself. She quickly got back up to check up on Ichigo who was laying flat on his back a few feet away from her.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out to him. She kneeled at his side and leaned over him. "Are you okay?"

"I've been worse." He replied with a weak grin. "Whether you believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've gotten into a fight, but I still feel really pathetic for getting beat up. I can barely move right now."

Rukia couldn't help but lightly smile back at him.

"Tawake." She said gently. "If you don't start moving soon, then I'll have to drag you back to my car by myself again."

"Heh…" He chuckled.

Rukia sighed and her features softened. "How can you possibly laugh when you're like this?"

"Because you're safe now." Ichigo answered.

His simple statement seemed to break any self control she had left. Her eyes clenched closed and she gritted her teeth; the amount of guilt she felt that moment was overwhelming. She opened them in surprise when he gently grabbed her arm.

"Don't make a face like that." Ichigo said firmly. He closed his eyes. "It's not like this was your fault."

Rukia turned away, unable to look at him.

"Yes it was…" She whispered.

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 8_

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**Next chapter:** The Blind Bond


	9. The Binding Loneliness

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** Really late update due to my inability to make time for hobby writing nowadays. These next two chapters will be the end of Rukia's arc, and the story will focus on Ichigo's side of the story again. More things will be revealed in the upcoming chapters and things will finally start to piece together.

Next chapter should be up in next two weeks unless I decide to post weekly, and the post schedule will continue until chapter 13 (unless I find more free time to finish up more chapters.) This story is planned to have 25 chapters.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 9_

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Seeping through the white blinds of an open window, the warm morning rays slowly inched across the floor before finally settling over the bedridden body of Kurosaki Ichigo. The glow, though still orange and dim, irritated him and he slowly opened his eyes in response to the annoyance. He blinked blearily a few times to adjust himself to the light. With a confused expression on his face, he slowly sat up and looked down at the bed he was laying in. His mind was still hazy from just waking up, but it didn't take him very long to realize that he was once again lying in the same hospital bed that he had been in just two months earlier, though this time with injuries far less worse.

The noise of soft breathing caught his attention, and he quickly realized that he wasn't alone in the hospital room. The sound came from the sleeping figure of Kuchiki Rukia who was in a chair at his bedside. Surprisingly, and to Ichigo's amusement, she had managed to fall asleep while still sitting up. Her head was tilted forward onto her chest, causing her normally well kept hair to fall messily all over her face. By the look of things, she had probably been sitting there all night beside him.

That realization caused a look of disapproval to appear on Ichigo's face.

"Idiot…" He muttered.

Ichigo grunted, feeling a surge of soreness in his body as he shifted himself to the side of his bed. He gradually brought his legs down onto the floor and grimaced as he stood up. The pain he felt was relatively minor, but it was enough to keep him from moving normally. Wasting no time, he swiftly pulled one of the extra covers off his bed and gently tossed the blanket over Rukia. However, as careful as he may have tried to be, the contact of the fabric caused her to stir, and her eyes slowly opened as she awoke from her slumber.

"Ichigo…?" Rukia muttered as she looked up at him sleepily. It took her a moment to realize that he was out of bed. Her eyes immediately widened. "Ichigo!"

She promptly stood up and tried to push him back to his bed, berating him with concerns over his wellbeing as she did so. Ichigo initially scowled at her rather exaggerated reaction, but as his eyes glanced down at her hands pushing against him, they instantly lit up with surprise.

"Hey, lay back down! You're still –"

Her sentence was cut short when Ichigo suddenly grabbed her hands. Rukia was surprised by the abruptness of his gesture, but she quickly understood why he had reacted so violently; he had noticed the dark bruises on her wrists. They were injuries she had obtained when she had repeatedly tried to pull herself free from the ropes that had bound her last night. She had been so desperate in trying to save him that she had hurt herself in the process. He had realized this as soon as he had seen them, and he stared at them with a mix of shame and worry.

Rukia averted her gaze with a frown, unable see such a look on his face. At that moment, she didn't know if it was him or her that felt guiltier about what had happened.

.

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><p><em><strong>The Binding Loneliness<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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It was getting late into the afternoon. By then, Rukia had already left and Arisawa Tatsuki now sat in her place at Ichigo's bedside. However, her company wasn't very much appreciated. Rather than being happy that a friend was visiting him, he actually seemed disgruntled that she was visiting him. There was an unusual amount of edginess and discomfort displayed on his features.

"It took me forever to convince Umi to leave me alone and now you're here. You didn't need to come." Ichigo said rudely.

"A little bit of gratitude would be nice, Ichigo." Tatsuki said with a huff.

"I thought you were out of town. Didn't you have another tournament match?" He asked.

"Do you think I'd risk my good record just to come see you?" She said as she gave him a sly grin. "Now, let me take a look at your injuries."

"No way –"

Tatsuki grabbed his arm despite his reluctance. Ichigo watched warily as she started looking over his injuries. There was a good reason why he was so uneasy about this. He knew very well that she wasn't the type of person who had would offer even the smallest amount of sympathy when it came to physical pain. The hard calluses on the hands touching him firmly reminded him of that.

His fear had been all but confirmed when she had slapped his bruised arm with a satisfied grin.

"Ow! That hurt!" Ichigo yelled as he jerked his arm away. He scowled at her. "Can't you be even a little gentle sometimes?"

"Suck it up. Your father said you'd heal up just fine." Tatsuki said, shrugging off his complaint without a hint of empathy. Ichigo glared at her, but she effortlessly brushed it off and casually leaned back in her chair. "Jeez. I haven't seen you this beat up since high school."

"Shut up. It was three against one!"

"I clearly remember that you once took on six thugs before."

"Yeah, with Chad helping me!"

"With Chad doing all the work, you mean."

Ichigo turned away with an irritated 'che,' looking more like a child than an adult that moment. Tatsuki smiled at the familiar gesture, but those feelings of nostalgia and cheerfulness quickly disappeared when her gaze returned to his injuries. She had acted like she was unconcerned by what had happened to him, but the uneasiness she truly felt slowly became more and more apparent.

She grimaced, knowing that she could no longer hold back her troubled thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo." Tatsuki said quietly.

Ichigo turned to her with a look of confusion.

"Why are you suddenly apologizing?" He asked.

"I can't help but think that if I was here, things could have been different. I could have been there to help you!" Tatsuki said with frustration. Her hands clenched over her lap and she lowered her head shamefully. "When all our friends left Karakura, I promised you that I would stay here and help you matter what. But I've broken that promise! For the sake of my career, I've always been traveling, clinging onto the hope that my next stop would be closer to home."

Her hands clenched tighter as she finished the last of her words, and for a few moments, there was nothing but silence between the two old friends. For a while, it didn't seem like Ichigo had anything to say back to her. He only stared at her, his own expression stony and unreadable.

"It's not your fault." Ichigo said as he turned to look out the window. The cityscape was beautiful on the horizon. "Karakura is a town that's too small for the people of our generation. It's no surprise that you and the rest of our friends have left this place."

His eyes softened as he remembered each one of their faces.

"I'm the only one who hasn't been able to move forward."

Tatsuki raised her head, though the guilt she felt still pained her.

"But you can now, Ichigo." She said gently. She managed to crack a small smile. "Even though I'd hate to say this, it was probably a good thing you lost the bakery. It was a place that rooted you firmly in the past."

"That's nobody's fault but my own." Ichigo said flatly. "I was the one who never tried to run away from any of it or try to move on. I just tried to shoulder all of it by myself."

His statement caused her to fall silent. The guilt she felt from earlier finally started to slip away, replaced by feelings of respect and sympathy for her friend.

"It must have been lonely, being burdened by all of this by yourself for so long." Tatsuki said.

"I haven't been alone. Umi has always been there with me, remember?" Ichigo said. The smallest hint of smile could be seen tugging at his lips. "And recently, Rukia's been there as well. Thanks to those two, I've been more than fine."

As soon as Rukia's name was mentioned, Tatsuki's features hardened.

"That Kuchiki Rukia…" She started to say. "You told me earlier that she was the one who saved Umi, right?" She paused, hesitating on whether she should continue or not. It was obvious that she was trying to choose her words carefully. "Doesn't that seem even a little bit suspicious to you?"

Ichigo turned to her warningly.

"Tatsuki –"

"I mean, no one in their right mind would blindly run into a situation like that!" Tatsuki yelled, trying to reason with him. "She must have known the people who did it or at the very least knew that she would be safe. And why would they target you out of all people? It's almost common knowledge around here that you don't have much money. The amount they wanted from you wasn't even all that much – it's like they knew exactly how much everything you owned was worth! It's just too much of a coincidence, Ichigo! She must be hiding something – she…"

Tatsuki stopped herself before she could say more. She looked away and gritted her teeth as though she didn't know what to make of it. It didn't look like she wanted to believe it herself. Nonetheless, Ichigo had showed no signs of any concern himself. During the entire time she had been talking, his composure had remained unchanged as though none of what she said had bothered him.

The reason for that soon became clear.

"I already know that, Tatsuki." Ichigo said calmly. "I've known all along that Rukia has been hiding something from me."

Tatsuki instantly turned back to him.

"You've… known…?"

Ichigo suddenly became very somber.

"I've only known Rukia for a short time, but I've come to know her very well." He said. "It's become very easy for me to tell how she's feeling. That's why I've noticed for a while now that she's been troubled by something, even though she's been trying hard to hide it from me. I don't know what it is, but I do know it probably had something to do with Umi's kidnapping, and maybe even what happened when we first met. After everything that's happened…"

His remembered all the times where Rukia wore that same sad expression on her face.

"She wouldn't have that look if she wasn't somehow involved in those things."

Tatsuki took a few seconds to absorb everything he said. The information seemed to confirm her suspicions and she looked keenly at Ichigo. If he had known, then there must have been a reason why he was so calm about all of this.

"So what are you doing about it?" She asked.

Ichigo turned away for a moment as though he was going to dwell on his response, but he answered her without even a moment's hesitation.

"Absolutely nothing." He said.

"What?" Tatsuki asked, unable to believe the answer he just gave her. She stumbled for words. "B – but she's trying to –"

"I trust her." Ichigo said firmly. "I know that Rukia is a good person. If she had wanted to hurt me, then she had plenty of chances to do so during these last two months. She wouldn't have saved Umi and she wouldn't have tried to save me from those thugs. There must be some other reason why she's involved, and that reason is also causing her a lot of pain."

"But if that's the case, then why hasn't she told you anything then?" Tatsuki asked, getting more and more infuriated by his stubbornness. "If she's not trying to hurt you, she could at least tell you what's going on!"

"If she hasn't told me what's going on, then she probably has a good reason for it." He said confidently.

Tatsuki couldn't hold back a look of disbelief.

"Ichigo… Why are you going so far for such a person?" She asked.

Ichigo turned to her. With his eyes burning with determination, Tatsuki's memories quickly flashed back to a time in the past where he had given her such a look. Back then, his rain drenched face was just resolute as he was now, and even his words were the same ones he had said to her back then.

"Because I want to protect her." He said.

The familiarity of the situation shocked her, and though she tried hard to find an appropriate response, she couldn't find any words to respond to him. Ichigo, looking slightly tired as he turned away, relaxed a little, seemingly satisfied that their little argument had finally ended.

"Rukia's the first person to really understand me." He said. "No matter how hard I try to hide or shut myself away, she always manages to find a way to get through to me. She might hit me and scold me to do it, but she never oversteps her boundaries to cause me any unease — it's as if she knows that if she does, I'd just push her away."

A soft smile tugged at his lips.

"Thanks to her, the loneliness I've been feeling all these years have finally started to lighten. Just with her being there… it's given me the motivation to finally try to change my life."

Tatsuki remained quiet. She was happy that he was finally starting to move on, but the realization of just how close he was with a person who seemed to be hurting him was unsettling.

"Just… what kind of relationship do you have with her?" She asked quietly.

He paused for a moment at the question.

"She's…" Ichigo hesitated as he searched for the right words, but that uncertainty instantly disappeared when he found his answer. "A very important person to me."

"Ichigo…" Tatsuki muttered.

"That's why I will definitely protect her." He said determinedly.

Tatsuki stared at her long time friend. Ever since she could remember, he had always been like this. Once he was dead set on something, there would be little anyone could do to dissuade him. She couldn't help but give him a small smile. Despite how irritating that trait of his was, she knew it was also one of the reasons why she liked him as well.

"You don't change do you? Just like back then, nothing I say will matter, will it?" Tatsuki said as she turned towards the window to look back out at the city of Karakura. "Maybe we're both wrong and everything is just a coincidence."

"You know that I don't believe in coincidences." Ichigo said. He leaned back against the bed and closed his eyes. "Why do you think I gave my daughter such a name?"

...

Large stacks of papers and folders covered a small coffee table, nearly blocking the entire tabletop from view. The piles of documents contained a countless number of newspapers, magazines, papers, along with other assortments of random folders. Though there was almost no room left on the table, a small thud could be heard as another folder was thrown into the pile, and an arm with a bandaged wrist reached forward to grab another file.

Sitting in the nearby arm chair, Rukia started to shift through the pile. When she finally found the folder she was looking for, she quickly picked it up from the pile. However, just as she was about to start looking through it, her doorbell rang, causing her to stop what she was doing. She placed the folder back down onto the table and looked up with surprise.

She glanced at the clock on the wall with a frown, noticing that it was already well past midnight.

The doorbell rang again. Rukia looked over the mess on the desk and quickly tried to clean it up. She started to stack everything into one neat pile, but in her haste, the folder she had picked up earlier slid off the table onto the floor. With the single folder left unnoticed, she lifted the rest of the documents into her arms with a huff, and carried the pile to her bedroom to put it out of the way. She then closed her bedroom door behind her as she made her way to the front door.

The doorbell had continued to ring the entire time, much to her annoyance.

"What could possibly be so important…?" She asked with frustration.

"Rukia! It's me!"

Rukia paused mid-step at the voice, and her expression quickly changed when she recognized who it belonged to. With a slight fervor behind her steps and a look of anger in her eyes, she walked over and quickly opened the door. Abarai Renji stood in her doorway with both his hands in his pocket, looking almost meek as the much shorter woman glared up at him.

"What are you doing here, Renji?" She asked.

"I came here to talk." Renji said.

"We don't have anything to talk about." She said as she started to close the door.

"Wait." He said as he pushed back against the closing door. Rukia's glare intensified. "Look, I know you're mad about what happened, but if it makes you feel any better, Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't the only one hurt."

Rukia cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

Renji removed his sunglasses to reveal a large swollen black eye. The fist sized injury had come from the punch Ichigo had given him during that eventful night. Though initially surprised by his injury, Rukia's cheeks started to redden at how ridiculous he looked. He tried to keep a straight face, but his composure broke when it became obvious that she couldn't hold back her laughter even though she was desperately trying to suppress it.

"It's not funny!" He yelled as his face reddened with embarrassment.

A few moments later, Renji positioned himself into the arm chair that Rukia was sitting in earlier. He brought a bag of ice to his swollen eye and grunted with relief as the cold ice touched his bruised skin. Rukia, who stood silently nearby, made no attempt to hide the distaste she was feeling at his presence. However, she also couldn't hide the relief she felt when she realized that he had only superficial injuries.

"I always have to take care of you, don't I?" Rukia said tiredly. "It feels like that one time when we were ten, and you fell out of the big tree in the park. I had to take care of your injuries while you cried your eyes out."

"I wasn't crying, alright?" Renji said as he placed the bag of ice onto the table. "Besides, I only got hurt because you told me to follow you up that stupid tree in the first place."

Rukia smirked and Renji couldn't help but return it. After everything that's happened, it seemed as though they had forgotten they had been long time friends. However, that realization only served to remind the two of the subject that they were trying to avoid, and the two of them quickly sobered up at the reality of the current situation.

"That was a long time ago, wasn't it?" Rukia said pensively.

"Yeah." He said as he turned to her. "It's been a long time…"

Renji paused at the sight of her bandaged wrists, and Rukia, noticing his gaze, tried to hide her injuries. He had seen enough though, and he looked away with shame in his eyes. The wounds she had were partly his fault.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Rukia." He said sincerely. She was surprised by his apology. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but I wanted to punish you because I thought that you had betrayed us for someone like him. It's my fault that things got so out of hand."

"No, it's my fault for not being honest with you in the first place." Rukia said.

"Then tell me honestly." He said, turning back to her. "Do you think that you are capable of completing the task that was given to you?"

Rukia turned away from him to think over her response. Ever since the very start, she had tried her hardest to hide the truth from him, but part of her now knew that was no longer possible. Even if she had tried to lie again, she knew he wouldn't believe her anyways.

"No."

"Then you have to quit!" Renji yelled as he stood up. He was clearly concerned for her despite the scowl he wore to hide it. "You don't show it, but it's obvious that you've been suffering a lot because of this. How much more do you think you can handle before you finally break? You have to get someone else to take over for you!"

"No." Rukia said again with a slight fretfulness to her voice. Her hands clenched unconsciously at her sides. "I can't let anyone else do this. I have to be the one to do this."

"Why are you being so stubborn?" He asked suspiciously. "You –"

Renji stepped forward and looked down in surprise when he felt a small crunch beneath his foot. He moved his foot and saw that he had stepped on a small picture of Ichigo. His eyes were then drawn to the folder beside it. Curious, he bent down, picked up both items and opened the folder.

"What's this?" He muttered with surprise.

Rukia turned to him and her expression lit up with surprise when she noticed the folder he was holding.

"Wait, that's –"

"This information isn't just on Kurosaki Ichigo… It's also…" Renji started to say.

He slowly looked at her, unable to hold back the frustration he felt. Everything was finally starting to make sense to him, but it wasn't in the way that he could readily accept.

"So this is what you've been doing the last two months." He said. "You were trying to figure out the connection between Kurosaki Ichigo and that man weren't you? His financial information was just one of your attempts at trying to figure it out. The only reason you turned it in was to stall for more time."

A look of anger flashed across his features.

"You are trying to protect him."

Rukia didn't give him an answer, but her composed expression and her silence told him more than enough.

"Why?" Renji asked, unable to hold back his outrage. "You know what's at stake here! What reason could you possibly have to do something so reckless?"

"Because he's not a bad person." Rukia said calmly.

Renji felt himself falter despite all the anger he felt. The answer she gave him was simple and naïve, but the way she had spoken was incredibly resolute and unyielding. He sensed no hesitation behind her statement either and he couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed by the conviction that radiated from her.

"My heart tells me that Ichigo is innocent." She said. "I know it sounds foolish, but you don't know him like I do. It's hard for me to believe that he would be capable of doing anything that deserves such hate. That's just not the kind of person he is. And I believe in the kind of man that I know he is."

"Rukia…" Renji muttered in surprise.

"After what you saw that night, Renji, can you truly say that he's a bad person?" Rukia asked him.

Renji didn't answer her and remained firmly silently. However, his contorted features made it obvious that he was torn on the inside; it was clear that her question had greatly unsettled him. Satisfied despite his lack of an answer, Rukia slowly turned away from him before she started to speak again.

"The Ichigo I know is a truly kind person, with a good heart and an incredible sense of responsibility. I know this much even though I've only known him for about two months. And even though it was only two months, the times I had spent with him were also some of the happiest times in my life."

The softest look fell upon her features as her memories of Ichigo started to flood her thoughts. The moment they first met and argued. The scowl he gives her when he is obviously displeased. The eyes he has that always seemed to be able to see right through her. She could remember all of it all so clearly.

"Since the very start, Ichigo has always treated me without prejudice. That's why when I'm with him, I feel like I can be my true self. No masks, no fake politeness – just the real me. That kind of familiarity was something I've always wanted. All my life, people have always treated me differently because of my name. I was always wearing a mask to hide my true self. It was a really lonely feeling."

Her eyes shone a bit brighter as a faint smile tugged at her lips.

"It was only after I met Ichigo did that feeling of loneliness finally start to disappear. And without even realizing it, he's become someone very important to me."

A shadow of regret flickered on Renji's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"I… should have tried harder to stay at your side after you were taken in by the Kuchiki group." He said apologetically. "I thought that if I wouldn't be able to follow you unless I took this path. Instead, it's only brought me further away from you."

"That's not your fault." Rukia said. "Fate has a way to tear people apart or bring them together. Just like it did to Ichigo and I. Perhaps if I had never met Ichigo, then all this would have never happened."

"Or perhaps you wouldn't be here trying to save him." He said lightly.

She gave him a small smile, thankful for his encouragement.

"I want to save him, but I still don't know why that man is after him. If I can just figure out the reason why that man is after him, then maybe I can make things right." She said determinedly. "Then just maybe… no one has to get hurt through all this."

"Does Kurosaki Ichigo know about what you're trying to do?" Renji asked.

"No, but it wouldn't surprise me if he had noticed something already." Rukia said. Her face darkened slightly at the thought. "He knows me well enough that he probably realizes that there is something happening."

"Then why don't you just tell him the truth?" Renji asked. "Maybe he even knows the reason why this is happening."

"You know the kind of man he is from a few days ago. If he found out, do you really think he would just stand by and do nothing?" Rukia said, knowing the answer all too well. She shook her head. "He'll only get hurt if I told him. I'd rather be the only one suffering. I've already caused him enough pain."

Renji noticed that she had unconsciously clenched her hands as she said this, but he firmly looked her in the eyes, another silent plea for her to listen to reason.

"But Rukia, no matter how hard you try, nothing's going to change." Renji said grimly. "If that man wants to hurt Kurosaki Ichigo, then there is almost nothing you can do to protect him, especially since you need him on your side! All you're doing is stalling for time – time that's quickly running out."

"I know that already." Rukia said, obviously frustrated by the state of things. "But I have to keep trying."

There wasn't going to be anyway to convince her, and Renji couldn't help looking deflated by that thought. He pulled his hand over his face stressfully as he started to pace around.

"Then how much have you learned? Have you figured out anything at all?" He asked.

Rukia sighed.

"Nothing at all." She said. "Nearly ten years worth of information from the both of them and I can't find a single piece of information that connects them."

"Then maybe it's from a time before then." Renji said.

She shook her head again.

"That man has had the means to do this to Ichigo for years now – it doesn't make any sense to wait all this time. Why would he choose to go after him now?" Rukia said.

Renji paused, and he fell deep into thought before he answered.

"I don't know, but I'm going to help you find out." He said.

"You can't! If you get –"

"I understand why you didn't tell me anything now. It's because you didn't want me to get involved." Renji said. He gave her a reassuring grin. "But that's idiotic you know? You can't just shoulder these things by yourself. You'd just end up cracking underneath all that weight."

"Don't do this just for me." Rukia said firmly.

"I'm not." He said as he turned away. "It's not just for you. It's also for Kurosaki Ichigo. He was willing to throw his life away for you. Besides, he's important to you, right? That should be enough of a reason for me to help him."

Though she wanted to argue, Rukia relented, knowing that nothing she could say was going to stop him.

"Thanks Renji." She said gratefully.

"I'm going back to the office. I'll call you if I figure out anything." He said.

"Okay."

Renji nodded to her and started to head out. However, he stopped just as he opened the door.

"Rukia." He said. He didn't look back at her. "I still want you to prepare yourself. There may be a time in the future where you're going to have to decide which one of the two people you're trying to protect is more important. Be ready to make that decision."

He then closed the door behind him.

Standing there in the middle of the room, the large condo seemed enormously large compared to Rukia's tiny figure. She felt alone, both physically and mentally. The saddest expression was on her face as she quietly stood there without moving, contemplating the words he said to her, and the difficult choice that she knew that she could never make.

…

The street lights flickered on and the darkening landscape of the Karakura suburbs were slowly being illuminated one by one. The streets themselves were quite empty despite being so early in the night, but with the dropping temperatures of the mid-autumn season, it wasn't so out of the ordinary.

But neither the cold, nor the isolation, had stopped Rukia from being out tonight.

Standing quietly in front of the Kurosaki Bakery with a grocery bag held at her side, she looked slightly lethargic as she stared at the familiar bakery before her. Her purpose for being there wasn't clear. The lights were on in the bakery, an obvious sign that there was someone inside. Despite seeing this, she showed no intention on entering, and instead seemed trapped in place by her own thoughts.

"Rukia?"

The sound of her name caused her to snap out of her stupor, and she quickly turned to the person who had called out to her.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked as he walked up to her side. "I thought you were inside."

"My old man and Umi are inside." Ichigo said. "I had to get some things to taken care of."

Rukia glanced at the 'For Sale' sign he held at his side, and quickly realized what he meant.

"I see. How long do you have left?" She asked.

"I have one month to move out." Ichigo said. He turned to the bakery, and a nostalgic gentleness reached his eyes. "It's actually quite lenient considering how many times I've been late on my payments."

"If you need a place to stay –"

"Thanks, but I'll be staying with my old man when the time comes." He said with a scowl, scratching the back of his head. "He won't mind since he'll get to spend some time with Umi. Besides, it'll just be troublesome. I don't need you nagging me to move out like I was a difficult teenager later on."

Rukia didn't try to argue with him. She knew that nothing she said was going to change his mind. Despite his grumpiness, she knew that the real reason he didn't accept was because he didn't want to be a burden to her. He had always used that attitude of detachment to hide his thoughtfulness. She had come to know that part of him very well.

"Did you buy some ice cream for Umi?" Ichigo said as he pointed to the bag she was holding.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Rukia asked curiously.

"It's melting onto the sidewalk." He said flatly.

"Ah – Oh no!"

"Rukia." Ichigo called out to her sternly. She turned to him, surprised to find a rather grim expression on his face. "How long have you been standing here?" He asked, causing her eyes to widen slightly. "Just… how long have you been here, feeling guilty about something you didn't do?"

"I…"

That was all she could say before turning away with a look of shame. Ichigo stared at her for a few more moments before he spoke again.

"That kind of expression doesn't suit you." He said. "You look like an idiot, punishing yourself because no one else would."

Rukia remained quiet. She was unable to find any words to answer him. Frustrated by her attitude, Ichigo sighed and walked over to her. She didn't notice him approaching until she was greeted by a light tap on the forehead. It caused her to emit a quiet gasp of surprise and she quickly returned his gesture with a furious glare. Any guilt she felt was immediately replaced with anger.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" She asked angrily.

"There's your punishment." Ichigo said. She frowned irritably at him, and he scowled back at her before turning away. "What do you want me to do? Hit you? Ignore you? Yell at you? After everything that's happened, there's only one thing I want to say to you."

He calmly turned his gaze towards the bakery.

"Thank you, Rukia."

A look of surprise lit up on her face, and she turned away to hide the guilt that had renewed itself inside her.

"I… I didn't do anything worth thanking." She said sadly. "In the end… you still…"

"I still have what's important." Ichigo said. "I still have Umi."

Rukia stared at him with surprise. The way he had spoken was so honest and grateful. Despite everything that's happened, the kind of person he was hadn't changed. He was still the same kindhearted person she had met on that faithful day. She turned away with the smallest hint of a smile on her face – the first smile she had worn in the longest. It reminded her of the reason why she wanted to so badly protect this man.

"And don't forget that you also have me." She said.

Ichigo glanced at her, surprised by her comment, but the surprise was quickly replaced by a thankful grin. Even though he was about to lose almost everything, he was able to smile thanks to her words of support. He turned back and contently looked up at the night sky. The clouds covering the moon were starting to thicken.

"That's right."

…

Rukia opened the door to her bedroom and flipped the switch to turn on the lamp. She sighed as she entered, carelessly tossing her bag and coat onto a nearby chair. Looking visibly tired as she sat down on her bed, she looked as though she wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. However, her eyes quickly caught sight of an unsightly mess of papers on her bedside desk. It stuck out like a sore thumb in her otherwise clean room, and she sighed once more as she reluctantly got back up to go clean it.

She started to shift through the pile of papers. It was monotonous work, and it served to only tire her more. She continued on regardless, pausing only briefly at a folder she found beneath the mess. Her eyes scanned the name that had been written across the label.

'Inoue Orihime'

Rukia opened the folder, revealing a small photo of the woman and the printed pages of the restored letter she had found two months ago. Her eyes lingered on the picture, drawn to the bright smile on the woman's face. It was a smile, she noticed, that her daughter had perfectly inherited. She could only wonder what this woman was like, having only a limited understanding of her from her fragments of her letter.

"If she was still alive, would things – would he – be different? Would the three of them be a family?"

She instinctively looked towards a picture stand nearby on the desk. Three people could be seen in the photograph. One of them was her, looking a few years younger and her hair just a little bit longer than it was now. Standing to her right was a stoic man in a black suit with long black hair. His expression was cold and impassive, but he looked like a noble and reliable person. The person to her left was hidden away by reflecting light of the room.

Rukia nearly jumped when her cell phone started to ring. With a slight scowl, she quickly went over to retrieve it from her bag. She looked at the person who was calling and her expression instantly changed.

"Hello, Nii-sama?" She said politely.

She walked back over and picked up the photo from the desk.

"Yeah… I'm doing fine… No, I haven't gone. I've been busy."

Rukia tilted the picture. Standing on her left side was a woman who greatly resembled her. There were noticeable differences though. She looked a little older and had longer hair. The woman also had an exceedingly gentle expression on her face, a stark contrast to the man who stood on the opposite side of Rukia.

"Yeah, I'll go visit her tomorrow before I come see you."

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 9_

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**Next Chapter:** The Burden


	10. The Burden

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** This chapter marks the end of the Rukia centric part of the story.

More explanations, more questions, and the true colors of different characters will be revealed in next the following chapters.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 10_

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It was early morning.

The hum of a pleasant melody could be heard from within the confines of a hospital. The sound originated from a remote room that sat in a far off corner of the building. It had colored walls of peach and several personal pictures hung up, making the room more akin to that of a bedroom than to one of a hospital. Several different types of flowers and plants sat across the large window sill along with the other decorations. Their damp leaves suggested that they were all just recently watered.

The patient, who was sitting up in bed, already had a visitor in the early morning. Sitting at the bedside, the person known as Kuchiki Rukia continued to hum the soft tune as she focused her attention on the bright red apple she was cutting. Rukia took great care as she slid the small knife she held into the side of the apple.

The person from the bed motioned towards her.

"Careful now." The patient said. The voice was of a woman's.

Rukia sighed lightly, though it was one of amusement rather than annoyance.

"I'm not a child anymore." She said flatly.

The woman laughed at her sharp response. Her laughter was quiet and surprisingly weak, but it was a voice that was filled with great love and kindness.

"Twenty-six years old and you're still cutting bunnies out of apple slices." The woman said with a small chuckle. She held out a small pale hand. "Childish or not, some things just don't change."

"You were the one who showed me how to cut them in the first place, remember?" Rukia reminded her. She made the final notch in the back of apple slice and held it out.

The woman who took it from Rukia looked surprisingly like her, but there were noticeable differences as well. She looked a little older, made more apparent by how worn out she looked. Her dark hair was also much longer, so much more that she had to brush several long strands of dark hair away from her face before biting into the slice of apple. Her eyes, though of the same color, were slightly doleful and lackluster in comparison to Rukia's lively ones. She wore a pink yukata instead of the traditional hospital gown, indicating that her stay was not that of a normal patient's.

"How is it?" Rukia asked.

"It's delicious." The woman said with a smile.

Rukia returned it with one of her own.

"I'm glad you like it, Hisana-nee-san."

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* * *

><p><em><strong>The Burden<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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Rukia placed the knife down onto a plate and set the dish aside on the desk that was next to the bed. A couple of uneaten apple slices still remained on the platter, which had also been cut into the shapes of rabbits. Browning slightly, but still nonetheless cute, they were carved from different size portions and they sat neatly together in the center of the plate, looking like a small but happy family of three.

"I'm surprised you came to visit. I heard that you've been busy." Hisana said as she watched Rukia return to her seat. A mischievous twinkle lit up in her eye and she gave her younger sister a sly smile. "Did you finally get yourself a boyfriend?"

"You know I don't have time for things like that." Rukia said with a frown.

Hisana chuckled lightly and gave a quick shake of her head.

"That's your excuse every single time." Hisana said.

Rukia looked momentarily offended by her sister's comment, but decided to let it slide with a small exasperated sigh. Looking a bit sleepy from the early morning, she seemed almost lethargic as she leaned idly back in her chair, and she covered her mouth to hide the small yawn that escaped her lips. Hisana's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sight of her younger sister's fatigue. She noticed that there were bags under Rukia's eyes, and the obvious lack of energy that she showed.

"You look tired. Have you been getting enough rest?" Hisana asked.

"I'm fine." Rukia said as she stretched her arms out before her.

"Byakuya-sama hasn't been giving you too much work, has he?"

"No." Rukia said with a sigh. She seemed frustrated by the fact as her arms dropped limply onto her lap. "I actually called Nii-sama for more work a while back, but he seemed reluctant to add anymore to my current workload."

"I think you have more than enough to worry about, 'Miss Chief Financial Advisor.'" Hisana said with a smile.

"I can handle it." Rukia said confidently. "There are more things I can do for the company –"

"Rukia." Hisana interrupted gently, placing her hand on hers. Rukia blinked, confused by her sister's gesture. "You don't have to try so hard to please us. You've been working hard all your life. It's alright to take a break. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I can take of myself just fine." Rukia said firmly as she pulled her hand away.

"I know that, but I also know you, Rukia." Hisana said. "Even though you're trying to hide it, I can see very clearly that you've been under great stress."

Rukia frowned and she averted her eyes. Her sister always had a way to see through her, no matter how hard she tried to hide her troubles.

"It's nothing." Rukia said. "Compared to what the two of you went through, it's nothing. You took care of me all by yourself when mother and father died. Nii-sama went against his own family's wishes, nearly disowning himself just to marry you. The two of you suffered a lot while I mostly stood by unscathed."

Rukia turned back to her sister.

"The least I can do is work hard so the two of you can live a little easier."

Hisana smiled softly. It was the familiar smile that always put Rukia at ease, ever since she was little.

"But you shouldn't just live your life for our sake." Hisana said.

"Nee-san…" Rukia muttered.

Rukia's eyes suddenly widened when her phone alarm went off. She frantically dug around in her pocket for the pink device to quickly turn it off. For a moment, she seemed satisfied that she had managed to stop the annoying sound from continuing, but it didn't take her long to remember the reason why she had set that alarm in the first place.

"Oh shoot! I'm going to be late for work." Rukia said with a slight panic in her voice. She hastily grabbed her things and quickly rushed out of the room. "I'll come by again as soon as I can!"

Hisana laughed as she watched her sister run off. She waved to her.

"Take care, Rukia!"

Noticing the leftovers still on the desk, Hisana reached over and grabbed the plate. She quickly pulled out the trash bin that had been hidden away in the small space between the bed and desk. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the blood stained tissues that littered the bottom of the container. For a brief moment, she stared at them with a look of guilt and worry, but she forcefully tore her gaze away and dumped the scraps over them.

…

Rukia slowly raised her head as the elevator doors slid open.

She walked out into an elegant hallway, taking curt but graceful steps across the clean red carpet beneath her. Her eyes glanced at the large paintings that hung on the walls. They featured images of old men with varying levels of grey hair, but the same hard and cold expressions on each of their faces made it obvious that they were all related. She soon came upon a large set of wooden doors at the end of the hallway and took a moment to examine them; the intricate carvings on the wood were beautiful, but the doors radiated with an ominous feeling that they were hiding something frightening behind them.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in." A voice answered from inside.

Rukia twisted the knob and entered an enormous office. The view from its large windows was fantastic, giving a sight that only a place at the very top of one of the largest buildings in Karakura could provide. The room itself had a very old fashioned feeling to it, and held an unmistakable aura of strict professionalism. There were almost no signs of any personal items in the room despite its incredible size. The setting spoke only of efficiency and business. Everything was placed with a purpose in mind, with no clutter or redundancy tolerated.

The man who owned the office stood behind the big desk in the back of the room. He was looking out the large window towards the cityscape.

"Rukia." He said as she walked forward.

The one who had acknowledged her was the same man from the picture she had in her room. From first glance, it was already clear that he was not a man to be trifled with. He was a man still in his prime; both tall and fit, he had broad shoulders that trimly filled the black suit he wore. His long, dark hair fell sleekly past his shoulders. There was an intimidating quality about him as he stood there with his back towards her, and this sensation only increased when he turned to face her, revealing a rather cold and unreadable expression on his otherwise handsome face.

"Byakuya Nii-sama." Rukia said as she bowed in respect. "I heard you came back so I wanted to see you. I'm glad that you look well."

"Ah, the constant traveling has been unexpectedly agreeable." Byakuya said calmly. "How about you? Have you been adapting well to the company despite my absence?"

"Everything is fine." Rukia said. "The office you gave me is a lot more spacious than the one I worked in. Ukitake-taichou would be both pleased and jealous." Slight hesitation momentarily crossed her features before she continued. "About my request earlier, I implore you to reconsider…"

"I've already given you more than enough things to do." Byakuya said firmly as he turned away from her.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia asked, surprised by his sudden change of tone.

"Ever since the scandal involving Ichimaru Gin and Sousuke Aizen came to light, the GTC Keiretsu has become financially unstable. As you already know, the Kuchiki Group had particularly suffered terrible losses." Byakuya said as he stared out the window. His gaze shifted across other skyscrapers before focusing on Rukia's reflection on the glass. "You were only transferred here from Ukitake-taichou's division to help to stabilize the Kuchiki Group's finances – nothing more, nothing less."

He turned back to her.

"I never wanted you to be involved in anything else."

"I chose to do this." Rukia said quickly, trying her best to reassure him. "Besides, the project required more attention than you could manage by yourself. Your responsibility required you to leave the country."

"And I have not returned empty-handed." Byakuya said, getting a look of surprise from Rukia. "It nearly took me two months of traveling back and forth, but my proposal was finally accepted by a company in Europe." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He slid it across the desk to her. "This is their information. I'll need you to get in contact with them as soon as negotiations are finalized."

"Yes, Nii-sama." Rukia said, taking quick glance at it before pocketing it. She looked slightly tense as she turned her attention back to him. "What did they want in return?"

"An opportunity." Byakuya said. "For their support, I have agreed use the Kuchiki Group's influence to help them enter the Japanese market."

"That's great news!" Rukia said excitedly. "That's not even asking for much! You've managed spectacularly, Nii-sama!"

Byakuya didn't share in her excitement. Instead, he looked rather somber about the entire ordeal.

"To be honest, I was prepared to make a much bigger sacrifice." He said. "I knew that to find a suitable treatment, we would not only need a massive amount of funding, but also the technology for the research. It was going to be difficult; candidates that fit the criteria were slim and anyone who invests in this project will surely suffer losses. The Kuchiki Group was already in a terrible position, and in its current state, no one in the GTC Keiretsu can help. This was nothing short of a miracle."

"But you did it. Now we're halfway there." Rukia said brightly.

"That's right. Halfway." Byakuya said.

Any positive emotion Rukia felt instantly diminished when she realized the implication behind his statement. She frowned slightly and she averted her eyes.

"As for me, I am still in the middle of negotiations." She said.

Byakuya fell silent for a moment before he spoke again.

"Your job was simple enough. You had to find someone to lead the team that's being put together." He said. "Naturally, in Japan – and perhaps the world – the most suitable person we could turn to was him. With his resources and his expertise in the field, he is undoubtedly the best candidate for the position."

He paused, and though it was nearly unnoticeable, a hint of suspicion flickered across his expressionless face.

"However… the first thing that man asked for was for you to be personally in-charge of negotiations. According to your agreement, you are not to disclose any details of the contract to anyone, not even me. It's been a little over two months now since your negotiations have begun. If it had been about money, your negotiations should have been well over by now."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"The entire arrangement has made me extremely uneasy. You are an incredibly selfless person, Rukia. Your sister and I know that you would do anything for us. Perhaps that man does too."

"You don't need to worry about it." Rukia said. She tried her best to sound confident, but her expression bore none of it. "I just need a little bit more time, that's all."

"I know that, and that's why I regretfully have to tell you this important piece of information." Byakuya said. "The prognosis we were originally given was wrong. Hisana's condition is progressing much faster than what our doctors had predicted."

Rukia felt her heart nearly skip a beat.

"What?" She asked, nearly in a whisper.

"You understand what this means, don't you?" Byakuya asked.

Rukia's gaze fell at the grim realization.

"How long do I have left?" She asked.

"Less than a month. I have already arranged to meet with a representative to finalize the agreement before then. If we start any later, we may lose the chance of completing the drug in time." Byakuya said. Knowing that he had only increased the burden on Rukia, Byakuya's eyes were almost gentle as he spoke to her. "You need to secure this negotiation soon. Remember why we are doing this, Rukia."

Rukia slowly looked up, knowing very well the answer to those words.

"For Hisana's sake."

...

It was getting late in the afternoon. Most of the wide suburban streets of Karakura were painted in a soft orange glow. Rukia, who was walking along one of these empty sidewalks, had nothing to accompany her but her long sunset shadow. Yet, perhaps it was a good thing that she was alone. With a glazed look in her eyes, it seemed as though she wasn't even paying attention to where she was walking; she would have easily bumped into someone without even realizing it.

However, her inattentiveness was not without reason. The meeting with her brother had left her with the deepest feeling of despair, made only worse by the memories that replayed over and over in her head.

"_Your job isn't done yet, not by a long shot. You know what you were supposed to do."_

The job she was supposed to do.

_"Because you're safe now."_

The man she wanted to protect.

"_But you shouldn't just live your life for our sake." _

The sister she wanted to save.

"_There may be a time in the future where you're going to have to decide which one of the two people you're trying to protect is more important. Be ready to make that decision."_

The choice that she knew she couldn't make.

'Even if I find another person, Hisana's chances get considerably worse, and Ichigo will still end up being hurt by that man. The only way to save them both was to figure out why that man is after Ichigo. I thought that with that information, perhaps I would be able to find an alternate solution to satisfy that man's hatred.' She thought. 'But… I was too arrogant to think that I could figure it out in time. In the end, I couldn't do anything.'

Her eyes softened at the realization. It all seemed so hopeless now.

"What am I going to do?" She asked quietly.

Rukia stopped walking and she slowly turned her head to the side. She already knew where she was. The sidewalk beneath her was familiar, as was the trees, the shrubs, and the street. She had walked these streets many times before. She had come here so many times in the past two months that she was familiar with everything about this place.

"I came here to tell you everything… but…" She started to say.

The Kurosaki Bakery, though a dingy place with slightly dusty windows, was a place she held close to her heart. It was the place where she and Ichigo became close friends, the place where she connected with Umi, and the place where she had found unexpected comfort. However, this time, the sight only brought back bad memories.

_Rukia stared at the two photos in her hand. One was a picture of a small bakery that she had never seen before. Small faded characters that spelt out 'Kurosaki Bakery' could barely be made out from above the doorway. The other was picture of a young man with bright orange hair. He was man with a good face and strong eyes, but his handsome features were nearly hidden away by the scowl he wore. _

_She turned her attention to the open folder on the table which had a stack of documents atop it. She tentatively moved the first few pages to the side; they contained general details of the man from the picture she saw, from his appearance to where he lived. Looking both confused and over whelmed by the information presented to her, she raised her gaze back to the man who was hidden away in the darkness of the office._

"_What is this?" Rukia asked._

"_Your assignment." He said._

"_Assignment?" _

"_You asked me what I wanted in return for my involvement." He said. "This is the task I want you to complete for me."_

"_What is it that you exactly want me to do?" Rukia asked. _

"_Simple – you're going ruin that man's life." He said._

_Rukia's eyes widened with surprise. She glanced back to the picture in her hand. _

'_This man?' She thought curiously._

_She frowned; the sense of dread she felt in the pit of her stomach was almost overwhelming. This was not what she had expected him to want from her. _

"_Why me of all people?" Rukia asked, turning back to him. "Is this the reason why you have asked for me to be the representative for this negotiation?"_

"_Yes, because you are a person that is perfectly suited for the job." He said. His tone was cold and calculative. "Kurosaki Ichigo has always been attracted to the kind of people who have heavy burdens to carry. His nature makes him extremely protective of someone like you. It will be very easy for you to get close to him."_

"_How can you be so sure that I can do this?" Rukia asked doubtfully._

_The smallest hint of a smile pulled at his lips, noticeable even in the darkness._

"_Because the burden you carry is your sister's life." He said._

_Rukia fell silent and she grimaced. She thought over everything that had been said. He was right; her sister's life was on the line. But how could she accept such a task? Doing something like ruining someone's life – it was something she had never thought she would be capable of doing._

"_I don't… How am I suppose to –" She tried to ask. _

"_I don't care how you do it." He said callously. "Make him fall in love with you and break his heart, gain his trust and swindle his money, hurt him emotionally and physically – do it through whatever means you wish." _

_The man turned away, though she could still feel the pulsing hatred in his final words. _

"_Just make that man suffer."_

She tore her gaze away from the building and shut her eyes, trying hard to suppress the terrible memories, but she couldn't stop them. As though that one single memory had created a small crack in her resolve, every bad memory quickly flooded her thoughts, screaming and tearing at the inner walls of her heart.

_Rukia was driving along the roads of the Karakura suburbs. The folder that the man had given her sat in the front seat next to her. Every now and then, she would glance at it from the corner of her eyes. It was obvious how much it was bothering her. The anxiety she felt was clear on her features. She soon grew frustrated by how much it was worrying her and she forced herself to tear her gaze away from it. _

_As she did, she caught sight of someone crossing the street. She was surprised to see that it was a man with bright orange hair. _

'_That person is... Kurosaki Ichigo...!' She thought, remembering the picture._

'"Just make that man suffer..."' _His words echoed in her thoughts._

'_I'm willing to accept any consequences if it means I can help Hisana...!' She thought to herself. 'But… can I really do this…?'_

_She hesitated, taking a moment to gather up the courage, and then she pushed down on the accelerator._

'_Will this be enough to satisfy you? If I just hurt him, will that be enough?' She thought. Her eyes narrowed as she closed in on him. 'If I hit him hard enough to cripple him, then my job will be done, right? If I accidentally kill him...'_

_Her fingers clenched the steering wheel to the point where her hands were shaking._

'_That will be more than enough, right?'_

_A spark of panic flickered across her features. She had prepared herself, but the closer and closer she got, the more and more she felt her resolution shake. Her eyes widened as she felt the last of her resolve shatter into countless pieces._

'_I can't...! I can't...! I can't do this!'_

_Her foot slammed on the brakes, but it was already too late. _

Rukia's eyes snapped open and tears started to well up in the corners of them. She could no longer hold back the guilt she felt – it was all too much for her to bear anymore. But even when she felt the walls around her heart crack, she still tried to be strong. She clenched her eyes shut, grimacing as she struggled fruitlessly to hold back the tears that rolled down her pale cheeks.

"How can I possibly tell you the truth…?" She muttered.

In her despair, she never noticed the sound of footsteps echoing behind her.

"Rukia?" A familiar voice called out to her. She instantly recognized that it belonged to Ichigo, and instinctively turned towards him. "What are you doing here –"

He froze at the sight of her tear-stained face.

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered. Knowing that this was possibly the worst time for them to meet, she quickly turned away and started to run. But before she could even get a few feet away, Ichigo had already caught up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Let me go!" She yelled, trying her best to pull away from him. "I don't want you to see me like this –"

"Look at me, Rukia." Ichigo said. His voice was firm but gentle. "Don't run away from me."

Rukia gathered her courage and turned back to meet his gaze. He was looking at her with strong eyes, but deep within them, they held an indescribable sense of sadness as though he couldn't bear to see her like this.

"You don't have to tell me what's wrong. You don't even have to say anything if you don't want to." Ichigo said understandingly. "But… I definitely can't leave you alone right now."

Rukia couldn't hold back a look of surprise. Ichigo had suffered so much, yet he didn't change one bit because of it. He was still the same kind person she's always known him to be. There was no doubt in her mind that he suspected her of being the cause of that pain, but he was still here. He was still here, holding her, keeping her from falling further towards the despair that was threatening to swallow her entirely.

Rukia clenched her eyes shut.

"Ichigo…" She muttered.

Rukia slowly allowed herself to break in front of him, and the tears she once held back now flowed freely down her pale cheeks.

For the longest time, Ichigo watched her silently with a surprisingly gentle expression on his face. He tenderly squeezed her hand with his own, reminding her that he was there for her. He didn't try to comfort her in any other way; he knew that she didn't need a shoulder to cry on nor did she need any consoling words from him. All she needed to know was that she wasn't alone. There wasn't anything else more important for her to know that moment.

And he stood there with her until the last of her tears were shed.

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 10_

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**.**

**Next Chapter:** The Changing Bond


	11. The Changing Bond

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes: **Another chapter up.

Depending on how much free time I have, it might be two weeks until the next chapter.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 11_

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Kurosaki Ichigo's brown eyes slowly opened, revealing themselves to the warm glow of the morning light. He scanned his surroundings groggily as if trying to make sense of where he was. His gaze shifted past familiar items of his living room, from his noisy television which hadn't been turned off, to the red couch where he had fallen asleep on. He had managed to fall asleep while still sitting up – a feat Rukia had managed a few days earlier – and he groaned as the discomfort of having slept in such an uncomfortable position started to affect him.

He then noticed that most of the aching came from his left side, and as he looked over to investigate the source, he quickly realized why. Kuchiki Rukia was sleeping quietly with her head leaning against his left arm. Startled by the discovery of her presence, he nearly jumped out of his seat, but thankfully, he was able to compose himself before he could accidentally wake her.

"I guess we both fell asleep…" Ichigo muttered. He brought his right hand to his forehead with a sigh. Rukia stirred for a moment and her eyebrows creased slightly in response to his voice. He turned to look at her when he felt her move.

'We nearly talked all night, but nothing important was said.' He thought as he stared at her. 'I didn't say anything about my past and she didn't say anything about the present.'

His eyes slowly trailed down his left arm.

'I wonder why that is. Are we afraid of finding out the truth?'

And his gaze finally stopped at the sight of their entwined fingers.

'Or are we afraid of what might change because of it?'

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><p><em><strong>The Changing Bond<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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Karakura Middle School; the front of the school was nearly over flowing with excited children and their parents, their laughter a welcoming warmth in the cooling weather of the autumn season. A line of the travel buses along the front of the school signaled the start of a long distance field trip, and several teachers looked stressed as they tried directing the numerous students on-board.

Excitable as always, Kurosaki Umi happily ran towards one of the buses, her bright smile reflecting the anticipation she felt. She wore a yellow jacket a size too big for her, and her red backpack, though large and heavy, didn't slow her down even a bit. As eager as she was, she stopped and turned back before she got on the bus, waving her little arm back and forth as she shouted out to the two adults who were watching her.

"Good-bye Papa! Good-bye Miss Rukia!" Umi said brightly.

Ichigo and Rukia waved back to her, one with a look of forced indifference and the other with a small smile on her face.

"Be careful!" Rukia said. She glanced at the man at her side, who had said nothing to his daughter. The look on his face spoke of apathy, but she knew that he was just hiding his worries beneath it. "Are you sure you're able to let her go?"

"It's only a three day field trip to Tokyo, and she'll be in good hands while she's there." Ichigo said firmly. It seemed that he was also reminding himself of this fact. "She'll be fine."

Rukia chuckled and Ichigo turned to her curiously. She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Yeah. She'll definitely be fine." She said.

…

'For Sale.'

The small sign hung loosely on the front door of the Kurosaki Bakery, advertising its sale with a phone number right beneath its large red letters. It was the only sign left on the bare building; all the other signs and advertisements that once hung on its windows had been taken down. Inside, most of the shop's furniture had been taken apart or moved, leaving an empty front counter where bread and pastries used to lay beneath its glass panes.

Ichigo and Rukia were in the living room at the other side of the building. Sitting a small distance apart from each other on the red couch, Ichigo stared mindlessly out a nearby window while Rukia slowly flipped through a magazine, her glazed eyes seemingly doing no reading. As if the empty bakery was also affecting them, the atmosphere between them was undeniably dreary. Neither one looked like they wanted to talk, and the only noise came from the unwatched television, seemingly turned on just to break the silence that had fallen between them.

Rukia sighed quietly at the lifeless mood, wishing nothing more that it would just somehow go away. She closed her magazine with a quick snap and turned to Ichigo to see what he was doing. He took no notice of her gaze and continued to stare dully out the nearby window. There was a slightly forlorn, almost moping look in his eyes, though Rukia knew the reason behind it.

'He's worried about Umi.' She thought to herself. 'But that's not the only thing he's worried about… and he's not the only one worried.'

Her expression quickly fell grim.

'I've noticed it; how we both pretend that nothing troubling is happening. The truth is that we're both bothered by it. But we still manage keep up a strong front for ourselves and each other. It's like we're both trying to keep everything the same for as long as possible.'

She turned away from him.

'Perhaps that's why we've avoided talking about it.'

Shaking away those dismal thoughts, Rukia started to look around for another magazine to distract herself with. But before she could pick up another one, she caught sight of the beautiful weather outside a nearby window, and she smiled as an idea popped into her head.

"Hey, Ichigo." Rukia said.

"Hn?" Ichigo grunted. He had answered without looking towards her.

Rukia frowned at his unintended but lackluster response, and noticed that his full attention wasn't on her. So to remedy this, she picked up a magazine, pulled her arm back, and threw it at him. It slapped the side of his head before sliding gracefully down to the floor.

"What was that for?" He said loudly as he turned to her, but any anger he felt was instantly purged by the sight of the bright smile on her face.

"Let's go out today!" Rukia said excitedly.

…

Ichigo took a deep breath of the cool autumn air before pulling awkwardly at the black scarf he wore. His black trench coat was more than warm enough for the weather but he still looked uncomfortable. He shrugged his stiff shoulders and flexed his arm to no avail; everything seemed to be bothering him. Rukia wasn't sharing in his misery though. She was humming a quiet tune beside him, obviously enjoying the fresh air much more than he did.

"Why are we out here?" Ichigo asked lifelessly.

"Well, instead of being stuck in that dingy bakery –" Rukia started to say. Ichigo immediately frowned at her comment. "I thought we could go for a walk."

For a moment, it seemed he wanted to reply with an angry comment, but all he did was sigh lightly before he continued to follow her.

They walked past a playground a few moments later. It was an aging locale that looked like it was just a few years from falling completely apart. The paint was chipping off the wooden stairs that led up to a small slide, and the metal columns holding up the nearby swing set were starting to show rust. Ichigo stopped walking for a moment to look over the old place.

Rukia noticed his distraction.

"Ichigo?" She called out to him.

"I used to push my sisters around on that swing set when we were little." Ichigo said as he pointed towards it. He pulled his gaze away. "I haven't seen them in a long time."

"Your sisters are at college now, right? Do they come home to visit often?" Rukia asked as they continued to walk.

"They have to or else my old man gets antsy." Ichigo said with a scowl. "Trust me when I say you don't want him to go visit you. Even though he looks like an easygoing kind of guy, he's actually the kind of parent who is overly-attached to his children."

"You two are alike when it comes to that." Rukia said jokingly.

"Don't ever say that again." Ichigo said darkly.

Rukia chuckled at his reaction.

"Was he always like that – 'eccentric?'" She asked.

"Not always." Ichigo said. "He changed a lot when our mother died. It was really hard for my sisters and me without my mother around, but I can't even imagine the pain he must have felt. But he always tried to stay optimistic. I suppose being unbearably silly was a way for him to cope, and an attempt at trying to keep us happy."

"It almost sounds like you respect him." Rukia said with a smirk.

"As if!" Ichigo said loudly.

"I'm envious of the relationship you have with your father." Rukia said. Ichigo looked at her with disbelief and she smiled. "I don't remember my parents very well, and the only father figure I ever had in life was my brother-in-law." Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "He's an incredibly strict person."

"How so?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, for one, he definitely wouldn't approve of my association with someone like you." Rukia said.

"'Someone like me?'" Ichigo asked with a scowl. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"What would be the terms he would use?" Rukia said as she looked up in thought. She started to count off fingers. "Unrefined, stubborn, ill-mannered, poor –"

"I get it." Ichigo interrupted angrily.

Rukia flashed a smile at him.

"But I don't mind those parts of you." She said. Ichigo was surprised by her comment. She then paused for a moment, as if to reconsider. "Well, the stubbornness could tone down a bit."

Ichigo sighed.

"That should be my line." He said tiredly.

The two of them sat down on a nearby bench to take a break. Ichigo huffed as he leaned his head against the wooden backrest. He closed his eyes contently, seemingly enjoying himself despite his earlier attitude. Sitting beside him, Rukia glanced at him and was surprised by what she saw; he looked at peace – almost as if he was sleeping – showing none of the anxiety that had weighed him down before. She couldn't help but lightly smile, feeling her own body and soul relax by such a sight.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, and he turned to her with confusion when he noticed the look she was giving him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No. It's nothing." Rukia said curtly.

Feeling slightly disgruntled at her simple answer, he brushed off it off, and started to relax again. But before he did so, he glanced one last time at her and saw the faintest smile touch upon her lips.

…

The two of them walked into a busier part of the suburban area later.

They spent a lot of their time window shopping around the local shops. Most of them were small, self-employed businesses that sold hand-crafted items, ranging from small dolls to handmade baskets. Being one who was never able to contain her excitement when it came to cute things, Rukia often pressed her face close to the glass every time something caught her eye; Ichigo wore a face of derision each time he saw her do this.

A small dumpling shop caught their attention a while later, and despite his best efforts to escape, Ichigo was eventually pulled inside by a persistent Rukia. The two of them soon left with food in hand. Ichigo took a bite out of his dumpling and seemed pleasantly surprised by its taste. Rukia, who was finishing up her stick of dumplings, noticed this and motioned for him to share. With the wooden stick of dumplings dangling precariously from the corner of his mouth, Ichigo flat out refused with a quick cross of his arms.

Rukia responded to this with an offended glare.

Predictably, Rukia managed to take the entire stick of dumplings from him a moment later, leaving him sulking with a slight bruise on his cheek.

As they continued on their walk, Ichigo couldn't help but glance at his wayside companion. There was something different about Rukia. She seemed so carefree and so relaxed; it was completely different from the stressed, high strung person he had seen her being recently. However, despite Rukia's obvious enjoyment at their outing and – though he was hesitant to admit it – his own, Ichigo couldn't help feeling slightly troubled by all of it.

'Why did she drag me out here? Knowing Rukia, there must be a reason besides the obvious.' Ichigo thought to himself. He glanced again at Rukia again, catching another glimpse of the smile on her face. 'But I suppose it doesn't matter.'

He looked up towards the nearly cloudless sky.

'It's been a long time since I've felt like this. This feeling of contentment… as though all my worries are gone…'

Realization struck him and he stopped walking. For a few moments, he just stood there, watching Rukia as she walked out before him.

"Idiot…" He muttered.

Up ahead, Rukia turned to look at him when she noticed that he was no longer walking alongside her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

Ichigo shook his head.

"No. Everything's fine."

…

They later found their way into the middle of Karakura Park. The changing seasons had done its work on the trees there, leaving little more than just half of their leaves still intact on their branches. With each following gust, more and more of them were swept away into a colorful whirlwind that decorated the late afternoon sky.

Impressed by the beauty, Rukia quickly ran over and stood in the center of the swirling leaves. She laughed softly as she looked up.

"The colors are beautiful." She said in awe.

"They are." Ichigo said. "It was a good idea to come out today. It really took my mind off things…" He paused for a moment before he continued. "That was the reason why you dragged me out here, wasn't it?"

Rukia smiled as she continued to look up in the orange-colored sky.

"After everything that's happened…" She said quietly. "I thought that it would be good for the both of us to get away from everything, even if it was for just a moment."

Ichigo turned to her, looking as if he wanted to respond, but no words came out of his mouth.

Standing there amongst the falling leaves, Rukia looked like she was part of a living painting. The gentle wind brushed her dark hair along her cheek and swirled the colorful leaves into a small twister around her. Ichigo couldn't help but stare, filled with both wonder and amusement. She soon noticed his gaze however, and turned to face him with a small frown on her face.

"What are you staring at?" Rukia asked curiously.

Ichigo seemed as though he wasn't quite aware of what he was doing himself, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Nothing." He said as quickly looked away, but his scowl could not hide the slight color that had risen in his cheeks from the embarrassment he felt.

Rukia paused when she saw this gesture, and quickly turned away to hide her own embarrassment. A small, sheepish smile pulled at her lips, but it soon disappeared.

"Ichigo." She started to say. Her eyes didn't meet his as he turned to her. "What are we going to do?"

It was a simple question, but it was a question that held a deep meaning behind it. Despite all the unknown things happening around them, their bond had continued to strengthen unexpectedly, like a beautiful flower growing in darkness. Even they themselves didn't realize just how close they have become until now. But the knowledge only served to trouble them further; they both understood that they were heading down an increasingly dangerous path towards the future.

Ichigo turned away from her. All he could do was answer as honestly as he could.

"I don't know."

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_End of Chapter 11_

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**Next Chapter:** The First Step Forward


	12. The First Step Forward

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** Late update. I guess it couldn't be helped considering the time of the year, but I'll be trying to make updates faster when possible. The next chapter will probably take another two weeks to finish.

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_Colors of the Heart, Chapter 12_

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A large hand reached into an old mailbox and scooped up a small stack of envelopes from within. Kurosaki Ichigo carefully shifted through the mail as he walked back inside the bakery, pausing only briefly as he came across a familiar looking white envelope. With a scowl on his face, he angrily ripped the envelope into several pieces before throwing away the scraps into a nearby trash bin. The edge of what appeared to be a check peeked out from the leftover bits.

Looking slightly agitated by what he had found, he sat down on a nearby stool and released a deep breath before going through the rest of his mail. He stopped once again as the return address printed on another envelope caught his eye. Curious at what it could be, he quickly opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

"Karakura High School Ten Year Reunion party invitation…" He slowly read the title.

His expression instantly darkened. He pulled back slightly as though the piece of paper he held was the most repulsive thing in the world.

"I'm definitely not going…" He muttered.

"Not going where?" A voice asked from behind him.

Ichigo paused, and he slowly turned his head to find Kuchiki Rukia staring at the letter from over his shoulder. He felt the most unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw her excited expression, knowing instinctively that it was definitely a bad sign of things to come.

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><p><em><strong>The First Step Forward<strong>_

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"Let's go."

Ichigo stared at Rukia rather vacantly as she finished her statement. Though she had spoken only two words, they held within them an unmistakable tone of finality, which unfortunately felt more like an execution sentence than a request to him.

"What?" He asked dumbly.

"The letter says you can bring a guest." Rukia pointed out, assuming that he didn't understand that part of the invitation.

"I know that but… aren't I supposed to be the one inviting?" Ichigo said with clear irritation in his voice.

"We don't have much time to prepare for this thing... what should – Oh! I think I might be able to borrow one of my brother's suits for you to wear." Rukia said cheerfully as she looked up in thought. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "They might be a bit big for you, but it should be okay…"

Ichigo's eye twitched in frustration. Rukia was ignoring him as though he wasn't even there.

"Hey! Don't make these decisions yourself!" Ichigo yelled. Rukia continued to ignore him, muttering to herself as she paced around the room. He followed her as she paced, and tried several more times to get her attention. "Rukia, are you even listening to me? Hey, Rukia!"

"Ah! That one would be great on you!" Rukia said brightly. She frowned as another problem appeared in her thoughts. "Now, which tie to go with it…?" She asked herself quietly as she walked towards the hallway.

Feeling any hope of getting out of the situation dwindling away by the second, Ichigo followed her down the hallway, all the while still trying to gain her attention.

"Rukia! Hey!" He yelled again.

Unfortunately for Ichigo, Rukia was very good at ignoring him.

"RUKIA!"

…

The night of the reunion party arrived quickly without a change in plans. Unlike her father, Kurosaki Umi could barely contain her excitement about the entire ordeal, and was visibly star struck by the outfit that Rukia was wearing for the event. It was a beautiful white shirtdress with sleeves that hung just above her elbow. Its gently ruffled skirt fell slightly past her knees, and a long white bow hung loosely over her chest, completing a simple but elegant look.

"You look so pretty, Miss Rukia!" Umi said brightly as she clapped her little hands together.

"Just wait until you see your father." Rukia said with a wink.

As if on cue, Ichigo mumbled with displeasure as he entered the room.

"Don't make it such a big deal." He said curtly.

Umi turned and instantly gasped, her grey eyes almost sparkling as she looked up at her father. Ichigo wore a sleek black suit over a white dress shirt. Although there was nothing particularly special about his outfit, it brought out a previously unseen side of him, giving him a sense of sophistication that was never there before. Even his characteristic unkempt hair was neatly combed. The only thing that was out of place was the dark red tie around his neck that was still untied.

"Papa, you look like a prince!" Umi said with amazement.

"Looks I was right to make you wear a suit!" Rukia said smugly as she crossed her arms. "I told you it was a good idea."

"Don't be so conceited. This suit barely fits." Ichigo said as he tried to fix his tie in the reflection of a nearby window.

Rukia shook her head at his pessimism, but she was unable to help a smirk. She had expected such a response from him.

"Anyways, we'll be back later." She said as she bent down towards Umi. "Your grandfather will be here to watch you in a little bit. Be well behaved, okay?"

"Understood!" Umi said cheerfully with a cute salute.

Rukia smiled before turning her attention back to Ichigo. He was still struggling feebly to fix his tie. She sighed at the sight of this and walked over to him. She knocked his hands away and fixed up his tie in a matter of seconds. Instead of feeling grateful for her help, Ichigo scowled; as if his troubles with the tie weren't already infuriating enough, Rukia looked at him conceitedly when she was done, only just to irritate him just a little bit further.

"Shall we?" Rukia asked with a smirk.

Ichigo sighed.

"Let's just get this over with."

…

Karakura High School; besides the line of trees that surrounded most of the school grounds, it looked just like any other Japanese high school from the outside. The grey building – despite its square structure lacking any form of imagination – was well taken care of in its long years of service.

The inside of the building was much more special. The hallways and classrooms had been changed to accommodate the visiting alumni. Old pictures from their years were hung up everywhere, a bittersweet reminder of their days there. The main auditorium held very little of these memorabilia but it was the place where most of the graduates had congregated. Probably drawn there by the food and drinks, countless voices filled the large room as friends both old and new chatted amongst themselves.

Ichigo looked like he would have rather been anywhere else than where he was right now despite the incredibly active and casual atmosphere. He walked away from all the people and leaned against one of the secluded walls with a bored look on his face. He then looked up to check on Rukia who was small distance away; it was a slightly humorous sight as it looked like she was being mobbed by the majority of the people in the room.

"Surrounded instantly by every businessman and businesswoman as soon as we entered the room…" Ichigo muttered apathetically. He noticed how forcefully polite she was – quite a difference from the Rukia he knew. "That's how it's to be a Kuchiki, huh?"

She caught his eye. 'Sorry.' That was the message her look gave him. He glanced back lazily and nodded in response. 'It's alright.' It was a quick and silent conversation between the two of them.

"I'm sure she's regretting that we came here now." He said, unable to help a sneer.

Ichigo suddenly felt as though he was being watched, and he looked over to investigate. A few people nervously turned away. They were people he didn't know personally, but he could tell from their judging glances that it was clear that they at least knew who he was. He turned back, but he could feel them looking at him again, whispering things that he couldn't hear. However, if this had bothered him, he didn't show it.

"Ichigooooooo!"

A person suddenly called out his name in an obnoxiously loud voice. Startled, Ichigo quickly turned to the source of the disruption, but sighed when he realized who it was. The lanky man that was running towards him had medium length brown hair and a goofy expression that rivaled even Kurosaki Isshin's. He was a relatively normal looking man of average height with deep brown eyes. It seemed as though he had come straight to the gathering without changing out of his work clothes; his name tag was still on his wrinkled grey suit.

"Ichigoooooooo – Ooof!"

Without even looking, Ichigo casually held out his arm to clothesline the man, causing him to flip over in the air before he fell flat on his face.

"Ah, Asano Keigo?" Ichigo said with feigned ignorance.

"What's with that formality when you greeted me the same way you did during high school?" Keigo said as he rubbed his nose. He rose to his feet with a frown. "You're as cold as always."

Ichigo shrugged.

"Force of habit I guess." Ichigo said. He then nodded towards the other man who was approaching. "And here comes Kojima Mizuiro."

The person named Mizuiro looked young, even more so since he was slightly shorter than Ichigo and Keigo. The blue suit he wore looked noticeably more expensive than Keigo's. His hair was straight and dark, parted down the front to reveal his rather petite face. The smile on his face was cheerful and gentle, which was very distinctive compared to Ichigo's deeply set scowl. Adding to his charms were light green eyes that shone just as bright as his smile.

"No need for formalities, Ichigo. It's nice to see you." Mizuiro said happily with a soft voice. "It feels like we're still in high school with the three of us, doesn't it?"

"Ah… those were the days…" Keigo said with a nostalgic smile.

"I guess so." Ichigo said, unable to help a slight grin himself. "To be honest, I didn't expect to see you guys here."

"We're the one who didn't expect to see you here, Ichigo." Mizuiro said with amusement. He looked around. "If you're here, I wonder who else also came. Last I heard, Chad was on tour with his band, and Ishida was still working in America. I haven't heard anything from Chizuru or any of the girls since high school."

"Well, Chad sends me a new CD every now and then, so I know he's doing very well. I haven't heard from anyone else." Ichigo said without much interest. He glanced over his two friends. "What about you two? You guys seem to be doing well for yourselves."

"Not really. I'm working as a boring salary man in Tokyo." Keigo said with a slump in his shoulders. "It sucks over there. I have to take a long train ride to get to Karakura."

"Nothing much here either. I'm just a simple modeling agent." Mizuiro said with a shrug.

"I hate you…" Keigo muttered with a look of envy and hate.

"For some reason, neither job surprises me." Ichigo said impassively.

"What about you, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked curiously.

"Well, I—" Ichigo started to say.

"Dirt poor, unemployed and still a single-parent." Arisawa Tatsuki said as she was approaching their group. Like most of the other guests, she also wore a semi-formal outfit; it was a simple cocktail dress of black.

"A thorn in every word…" Ichigo said as he scowled at her.

"You should have told me you were coming here, Ichigo. " Tatsuki said as she gave him slight frown. However, she grinned when she turned her attention to the other two. "Anyways, it's nice to see you guys after so long."

"Looking good, Tatsuki!" Keigo said as he gave her two thumbs up.

"You haven't changed one bit, Keigo…" Tatsuki muttered, feeling instantly irritated.

"It's nice to see you too, Tatsuki." Mizuiro said. He smiled mischievously as he turned to his orange haired friend. "Ichigo probably didn't tell you because he brought a date along. You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

"It's not a date." Ichigo said dully. "And I'm not embarrassed."

"Date?" Tatsuki asked. She looked around curiously. "Where?"

"It's. Not. A. Date." Ichigo said, emphasizing each word.

"She's over there in the middle of that crowd." Mizuiro said, ignoring him. He pointed over to where Rukia was standing. "The person you brought with you – that's Kuchiki Rukia, isn't it? She's the sister-in-law of that famous tycoon, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Really?" Keigo asked. He looked over and his eyes widened. "Hey, it is her! How the hell did you manage to get someone like her to come with you?"

Ichigo blankly stared at their inquisitive faces, though he could not hide the irritation he felt about being ignored.

"Actually…" He started to say. "She was the one who dragged me here."

…

Rukia huffed. She had finally managed to escape from all the mindless socializing. Her footsteps resonated heavily against the floor as she walked through the crowd, displaying the frustration that had been bubbling beneath her skin for a while now. She was tired of all the greetings and conversations, and was desperately in need of some respite. Unfortunately, her frustration only increased when she looked around the room for her orange haired companion.

"Where'd he go?" Rukia asked curiously.

"Kuchiki Rukia?"

Rukia scowled, thinking that it was another person looking to talk to her. To her surprise, the person who had called out to her was someone she recognized. That small fact seemed to cheer her up a little, and a small, refreshing smile appeared on her face.

"Are you by chance Arisawa Tatsuki?" Rukia asked. "I've seen pictures of you at Ichigo's place."

"Yes." Tatsuki said with a smile of her own. They quickly bowed. "I'm surprised this is the first time I've met you. Ichigo always mentions you."

"Same with you." Rukia said. She looked around. "Speaking of Ichigo, have you seen him?"

"He was around a minute ago." Tatsuki said before she also searched for him in the crowd.

As she looked around, Tatsuki noticed all the people looking in their direction. She knew instantly that they were only focused on the smaller woman in front of her. She saw that Rukia noticed this too; Rukia frowned at all the attention that her reputation was attracting, and she let out a heavy sigh that she didn't even attempt to cover up.

Tatsuki smiled at this and leaned closer to her.

"Kuchiki-san." She said very quietly. "I know a place where you can get away from all of this for a little bit. Just give Ichigo a phone call when we get there."

Looking both relieved and joyful, Rukia nodded in agreement.

"Please. Lead the way." She said.

…

"Wow..." Rukia said as she stepped out onto the rooftop of the school.

She took a moment to take in the scenery. There was a tall metal fence safely lining the boundaries of the roof. A little bit of left over graffiti could be seen scattered around the area, partially worn away by washing, time and weather. It felt like a place filled with memories, and though she didn't have any herself, the mere thought of that was enough to make the rooftop feel special to her.

"We use to come up here all the time to have lunch during high school." Tatsuki said as she closed the door behind her. "Ichigo particularly enjoyed being here."

"I wonder where he is…" Rukia said as she took out her phone. However, the distinctive color of orange hair caught her attention and she stopped to look down to the street below. "… Ichigo?"

Tatsuki – hearing her say his name – quickly walked over to her side and looked down. Even from so high up and so far away, she could recognize Ichigo's form as he was walking along the sidewalk.

"Looks like he's already leaving." Tatsuki said. She gave irritated sigh. "It doesn't surprise me though. He's always been unsociable."

Rukia's expression fell grim.

"I don't think that's the problem this time though." She said quietly.

"You shouldn't blame yourself. It's a good thing that he came here." Tatsuki said, noticing the look on her face. "You probably already know this, but Ichigo's heavy past has kept him firmly rooted in place. Seeing his friends as they are now is a good wakeup call to show that idiot it's time to move on."

"I suppose. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that perhaps it was wrong of me to force him to come here." Rukia said.

"You didn't force him. You know how stubborn he is." Tatsuki said with a smirk. "You can't force that man to do anything he doesn't want to."

Rukia couldn't help but grin at that notion.

"You're definitely right about that." She said with amusement.

"But still, I can't believe it." Tatsuki said, unable to help her astonishment. "For the longest time, I couldn't get him to do anything to move on, no matter how hard I tried. But you somehow managed to get him to come to something like this – in just two months, you've managed to do what I couldn't do for years."

Tatsuki gave Rukia a grateful smile.

"That makes you quite an amazing person, Kuchiki-san." She said.

"I don't think that's true." Rukia said modestly. Her eyes fell slightly. "Sometimes… I don't think I can do anything for him."

Rukia words seemed to strike a chord with Tatsuki, and her expression suddenly became very serious. She was reminded of the things that had happened to Ichigo recently and still wondered if Rukia was involved in any way. They were alone; this was a better time than any to clear up those concerns, and to confirm the intentions of the one who stood beside her. She hesitated on whether to proceed or not, but she knew that this might be her only chance.

"But Kuchiki-san, what do you plan on doing with Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Rukia asked, turning to her curiously.

"You are the first and only person to ever become so close to him – even more so than myself. That also makes you the person who can most easily hurt him." Tatsuki said carefully. "Someone like you… who probably has all the money, friends, and happiness they could ever want… Why would you associate with someone like Ichigo?"

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them. Rukia stared at her impassively, and for a moment, Tatsuki wondered if she had offended her with her question. However, a smirk soon pulled at Rukia's lips. She seemed more amused than anything else.

"Would you believe it if I said that only one of the three is actually true?" Rukia asked as she looked away.

"What do you mean by that?" Tatsuki asked, confused by her question.

"I understand why you have suspicions about me, and I know that you might not even believe me if I answered you." Rukia said calmly. "But the reason I associate myself with Ichigo is a simple one."

Rukia turned to Tatsuki with a gentle look in her eyes.

"It's because Ichigo gives me the two things that I don't have in my life." She said cheerfully.

Tatsuki was surprised. Despite the simplicity of Rukia's statement, she could feel a deep sense of happiness and gratitude behind her words. It was enough to make her believe that Rukia was telling the truth. She reserved further judgment though, for she also knew that part of her wanted to believe Rukia's words for Ichigo's sake, but at the very least, the suspicion she had once felt had all but disappeared.

"I see. So that's how it is." Tatsuki said. Feeling guilty for asking her such a thing, she fell quiet for a few moments before she continued. "Sorry. I just needed to know. I know I shouldn't be asking such a personal question."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad Ichigo has such a good friend like you looking after him." Rukia said thoughtfully, much to Tatsuki's surprise. Rukia turned her gaze towards the direction that Ichigo had left in. "I'm pretty sure he also feels that way too, even if he doesn't show it."

Tatsuki smiled. She was grateful for her kind words.

"I think I understand now why Ichigo thinks so highly of you." She said.

Rukia smiled back at the compliment, but a shadow of sadness flickered over her features.

"I'm glad one of us does." She muttered.

…

Ichigo took a deep breath and looked out at the waterway before him.

The Karasu River was a well-known river that cut through the west side of Karkura. Its surprisingly clean waters reflected the moon and stars on its shimmering surface, and the quiet rolls of its waves were both serene and calming. The sloped, grassy banks sported many signs to discourage activities such as swimming and littering, though the plastic bottles and wrappers laying about revealed that at least one of these rules was ignored.

Ichigo was standing atop the bank where the cement met the grassy slope. The sounds of all suburban life had quelled by this time, and the sound of a light breeze could be heard assaulting him every now and then.

"Ichigo." A familiar voice called out to him.

Ichigo turned, already knowing who it was.

"Rukia." He said, acknowledging her.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Rukia asked as she walked up to his side.

"That should be my line." Ichigo said. "What are you doing out here?"

"Nothing really." Rukia said with a shrug.

Ichigo almost smirked; he had expected such an answer from her. He knew better though than to believe that she had no reason to follow him all the way here.

"After seeing everyone back there at the reunion, I just needed to come here to think, that's all." He said.

"It's a long walk over here." Rukia said curiously. "Why did you come here of all places?"

A soft breeze blew up against the two of them, filling the uncomfortable silence that had momentarily fallen between them. Rukia noticed the increased tension, and she felt a slight sense of urgency as though she had asked the wrong question.

"This place was where my mother was killed as we were walking home twenty years ago." Ichigo said quietly.

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered. She lowered her head, seemingly ashamed that she had stumbled into something so personal. "Sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"I'm okay." Ichigo said calmly. "I'm definitely okay now."

Rukia stared at him, unable to hold back the surprise she felt. He had only said a few words, but she instantly understood what he meant – as well as the reason why he was here.

"You came here to see for yourself… To see if you were…" She started to say.

"Yeah." Ichigo said, confirming her assumption.

He closed his eyes as he fell into old memories.

"My old man once told me that my name meant 'One who protects.'" Ichigo said as he remembered his younger days. His father sat beside him at a desk, holding his small hand to teach him how to write his name with a pencil. Little Ichigo's brown eyes lit up with amazement as they finished his name. "When I learned that, I was determined to protect everybody that was important to me – my mother, my sisters, my father – I wanted to protect them all."

Thunder roared and heavy rain echoed in the next memory. His tiny hand was covered in blood that was not his own, and the falling rain could not wash it away. He opened his eyes and looked at the same hand. Though the blemish had faded away with time, the memory associated with it never will.

"But I couldn't even protect the one person who was the most important to me." He said.

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered quietly. She looked like she wanted to say more, but she remained quiet and allowed him to continue.

"After her death, I wanted to become stronger." Ichigo said, clenching his hand. "I wanted to become strong enough so I could protect everyone – so I wouldn't have to experience the pain and guilt of losing someone ever again."

His eyes glazed over for a moment, letting more memories flood his thoughts.

"I decided to become a police officer because of those reasons. It was almost an impossible dream because my stubborn nature and my brightly colored hair always got me into trouble when I was younger. I got into fights all the time and was seen as a delinquent. You saw how people looked at me back there – that reputation still follows me. Life was difficult; I've always had to work really hard to change the way people saw me, and to change that kind of life."

He paused for a moment before he continued.

"But I gave up when Inoue died." He said as his arm fell limply back to his side. "It was at that time that I decided to take care of Umi by myself. I knew that it meant living a difficult life because of how young I was, but it was a fate that I chose to accept because I thought I deserved it for failing to protect her."

Rukia's eyes widened when she felt a sudden realization. Her thoughts fell back to a time where she was sitting with Umi while she was doing her homework.

"Fate… Is that why you named her that?" She asked. The memory of Umi writing '運命' down on the piece of paper flickered in her thoughts. "Unmei… Kurosaki Unmei."

"I named her Unmei because she represented my fate of never being able to escape the guilt that plagued my life. By raising her, I knew that I would be constantly reminded of the guilt I felt because of her existence." Ichigo said. "It's almost cruel, isn't it? I chose to raise her, knowing that it was possible that I could never love her because of what she represented."

Ichigo lowered his head, and for the second time since Rukia's known him, he looked completely broken down. He was a man who had been forced to grow up too quickly, forced to take too many responsibilities, but he had rarely ever complained or showed that it affected him. The only other time she had seen him so miserable was during their visit to the cemetery.

"The people around me always got hurt because I was always too powerless to change anything." He said quietly. "No matter what I did, it seemed that I would always be fated to be controlled by guilt. So in the end, I just stopped trying to fight it."

Rukia unconsciously started to reach for him, to try and comfort him – but her hand stopped halfway and she drew back. She understood that there was nothing she could really do for him. That realization was disheartening.

"I can't even begin to imagine the despair you must have felt all this time." She said.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Ichigo said as he raised his head. His expression changed. "Because now that I'm standing here – now that I'm properly facing all those memories – I can finally say for sure that the pain has finally started to fade… and that I'm finally ready to move on."

Rukia stared at the man beside her. Gone was the shadow of regret. His eyes radiated with a new life within them, and they burned with a confidence that she had never seen before. She was happy for him, but she knew that this was only the first step of many that he was going to have to make.

"It must be hard telling me all this – about your mother, about Inoue, about Umi – but now I understand a little bit more about the kind of person you are." Rukia said. "It makes me want to know everything about you."

"I…" Ichigo said hesitantly.

"It's okay." Rukia said gently. "One day, when you're ready to tell me more about your past, I'll be there to listen just like I am right now. Until then, I can wait for as long as you need me to."

Feeling strengthened by her words, Ichigo closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath as his entire body relaxed in the cold night.

"Thanks… Rukia…"

…

The two of them started to walk back towards the school a little later. If their pace was any indication, neither one of them looked to be in any rush. They were taking their time, enjoying the night and each other's company. Noticing an odd silence, Ichigo glanced at Rukia, who looked slightly listless as she walked beside him. He nudged her with his elbow – though perhaps a bit too hard. Rukia grunted with surprise as she was knocked slightly off balance.

"Hey." Ichigo said with a frown. "You've been unusually quiet."

Rukia scowled lightly as she rubbed her arm, though it seemed directed at herself rather than him.

"I forced you to come tonight, thinking that things would be okay as long as I was right there with you…" She said uncomfortably. "Although I wanted to be there to support you, I ended up leaving you alone most of the night."

"You idiot. I said I was fine, didn't I? Besides, I needed to come out tonight – otherwise I wouldn't have realized the things that I did." Ichigo said. He noticed the surprised look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"No. It's just that it feels like you've changed." Rukia said with a small smile.

"I'm still the same person – I've just realized that can't always be stuck in the past, that's all." Ichigo said. He looked upward towards the moon and the night sky. "I know that I have to move forward."

Rukia couldn't help but feel inspired by him. However, she was also reminded of all the things that were controlling her life and the guilt that she also felt. Her eyes fell for a moment as each of those memories passed her by, but Ichigo's words echoed louder than any one of them. She could feel the strength of his resolve resonating into her, giving her the courage that she had lacked on her own.

"Yeah." Rukia said as she slowly looked back up. A spark of determination reached her eyes. "We all have to move forward."

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><p>.<p>

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_End of Chapter 12_

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**Next Chapter:** The Lifting Rain


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